


That Summer

by upsgirl88



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cowboys & Cowgirls, F/M, Smut, Song Lyrics, Western
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-16 09:31:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15434079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsgirl88/pseuds/upsgirl88
Summary: AU Caryl fic inspired by Garth Brooks' song That Summer. Carol is a young widow and Daryl is a teenager who goes to work on her farm for the summer. Like the line from the song says, they were both needing something from each other, not knowing yet what that might be...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my favs and I think my very first Caryl AU.

It had been Merle's idea. "Get the fuck outta this town for a while Darlene," he'd said. "My buddy has a job lined up for you. It's a gold mine."

When he found out what and where the gold mine was he'd told his brother to go fuck himself. He wasn't working for some old lady widow in the middle of nowhere for the entire summer. But the next night his daddy beat him so hard he'd passed out and Daryl changed his mind. He wasn't going to like it, but he did need to get out of the hell hole he lived in with his abusive fuck of a father. Let the asshole find a new punching bag, he thought, at least for the summer.

So there he was driving an old piece of crap pick-up Merle had confiscated from some dipshit who didn't have money to pay for the coke he'd ordered. Daryl hadn't seen a house for 10 miles and the last town he passed must have been 5 miles before that. There had to be houses around somewhere. Someone had to own the wheat fields that spanned out as far as the eye could see.

Daryl glanced down at the piece of paper with directions. He had already passed the last landmark and was looking for a driveway on the right. Finally he saw it and signalled his turn. You dumbass, he thought, he hadn't seen a car in half an hour, signalling was utterly pointless. Daryl bumped down the long drive, dust flying up behind him. There were fields of wheat to his left and something else, maybe corn, to the right, too early in the season for someone who didn't know shit about crops to tell.

As he pulled up in front of the house Daryl saw a few people working over by a large barn. He put the truck in park, killed the engine and jumped out.

A young woman came waking out of the house. She was cute, with short spiky hair, dressed in tight jeans, cowboy boots and a blue v-neck tee. Daryl was surprised to see so many people around. The way Merle made it sound, when he was teasing Daryl about losing his virginity to some old lonely widow, was as if it would just be the two of them. Him and this Carol chick he had yet to meet.

"Hey, your mom here?" Daryl asked, when the woman walked up to him. He assumed since she came out of the house and was heading to greet him that she must be the widow's daughter.

She smiled at him, ignoring his question. "You must be Daryl," she extended a hand. "I'm Carol."

He was pretty sure his mouth was hanging embarrassingly open. "You're Carol?" He eyed her suspiciously, "yeah right." He released her hand. "What are you, like 22? 23?" he added.

"25 actually," Carol replied, smiling at him. "How old are you?" she shot back.

"17. 18 next month," Daryl replied.

Carol crossed her arms and looked at him smugly, "Ah yes, 17... I was married at your age."

"Come on, you're shitting me. You can't be a widow. You can't own all this," Daryl waved his hand.

Carol nodded, "oh but I do." She flashed him another smile and Daryl noticed how it lit up her whole face. "I'll tell you about it sometime, but for now grab your stuff, I'll show you to your room." She turned and started walking towards the house. Daryl scrambled for his back pack out of the bed of the truck and trotted after her, thinking maybe it wasn't going to be quite as bad as he was expecting.

While they walked through the farm house to his room Carol started to fill him in on various things. "We're up before the sun every day, work until the sun goes down. We eat supper, then shower before bed. Sundays are different," she added. "We do the morning chores, then shower before church..."

"Oh I ain't going to no church," Daryl interrupted.

"Oh good," Carol smiled sweetly at him. "You can stay here and finish milking. We always struggle to get that done before church." Daryl actually considered going to church momentarily before he decided he'd rather have a deeper relationship with cows than God. "We have dinner earlier on Sundays, everyone eats together. No excuses," she warned. "And Sunday evenings everyone gets a break."

Carol opened a door and ushered him in. "Here's your room. Got your own bathroom over there," she pointed at a door. "Dresser, bed, there's linen, blankets and towels in the closet..." She thought for a moment, wondering if she had missed anything. "Any questions?"

"Can I smoke in the house?" Daryl asked, pulling out a pack.

"Nope, sorry," she replied. "You really should quit anyway."

Daryl snorted. He'd heard that a million times before. "Whatever," he muttered. It sounded rude and Carol snapped to attention.

"Listen to me little boy. I may not be old enough to be your mama but I have enough experience to deserve your respect." Daryl recoiled at her tone. "If you wanna stay you will be respectful, not just to me but to everyone here. If you can't do that then take your shit and go, now." Her blue eyes flashed.

Daryl's instinct was to tell her to fuck off and hit the road but the words that came out of his own mouth shocked him, "yes ma'am, you have my word."

"Good," she said, the smile returning. "Once you get settled come to the barn and I'll introduce you to the others."

Daryl watched her leave and wondered what the fuck just happened. He'd never backed down like that before from anyone but his daddy. But there was something about her that struck him. She had a confidence about her, and she obviously didn't take shit from anyone, and Daryl found himself respecting that, just like she wanted.

There was also the fact that she was smoking hot. If Merle had known he was sending Daryl to a bitch as sexy as Carol he'd have been there instead. Not for long though, Daryl though. She never would have put up with Merle's bullshit.

Daryl emptied his bag into the dresser and peeked out the window. He could see Carol talking to a tall guy in a cowboy hat. She threw her head back in laughter and Daryl felt his dick twitch in his pants. He knew he'd be jerking off later in bed thinking about his boss but right then he had to get it together and go meet the other douchebags he would be working with.

Daryl headed out to the barn. He met the cowboy hat first, his name was Cal. There was a young black kid named Andre and an older lady, Theresa. Carol informed him that some dude named Jeff and his fiancé Laura were out running a couple of the horses.

Carol sent him off with Cal to learn a few of the barn chores. Dark was approaching quickly and even though they hadn't worked for very long Daryl was exhausted when they were called inside for supper.

He tried to hide his yawns through the whole meal and answered questions as politely as he could. Laura was rather chatty. She annoyed him at first but by the end of dinner she wasn't so bad.

Andre excused himself to shower. When he returned a little while later he said good night and headed out the door. Cal disappeared next and when he returned he left as well. Daryl was confused. He had assumed they all had rooms in the house, like him.

Jeff stood up, "ready ladies?" Laura and Theresa stood.

"See you tomorrow Daryl," Laura said, waving as the three of them left.

Daryl looked at Carol, still seated at the head of the table. "Where did they all go?" he asked.

"Oh Andre and Cal sleep in the barn. And the other 3 are locals. Jeff and Laura drop Theresa off on their way home," Carol explained.

"Oh," he replied, still surprised he was the only one staying in the house.

Carol stood up. "Well I'm going to shower and turn in. 5 a.m comes early." She touched his shoulder on her way by, "night Daryl. Sleep well."

Daryl headed to his room and took a quick shower. By the time he crawled into bed he was exhausted. His plan of jerking off was lost the second his head hit the pillow and he started snoring.

A loud banging woke him from a deep sleep and Daryl groaned. He looked at the clock and buried his head under the pillow, wanting nothing more than to just go back to sleep. "Rise and shine, breakfast in 10," called Carol from the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he grumbled, climbing reluctantly out of bed.

Daryl stood in the bathroom brushing his teeth and looked into the mirror. "What the fuck have you got yourself into?" he asked his reflection.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl decided he was in love with Theresa as he stuffed the third biscuit in his mouth and started to butter a fourth. He had never ate home-made buttermilk biscuits in his entire life and Daryl was pretty sure they were the greatest fucking things he had ever tasted.

"These are amazing," he mumbled, mouth full.

"Glad you like them," Theresa said proudly. She had stopped working to admire the passion with which he was poking the food she'd prepared into his mouth. In fact, he had drawn a crowd and was quite embarrassed when he realized it.

"Sorry," Daryl muttered, stepping back from the tray of biscuits so the others could have some.

"Jesus Theresa, how many did you let him eat?" Carol asked, eying the half empty tray. "We don't want him puking in the barns later. Got stalls to muck this morning." She bit her lip to keep from smiling at the look on Daryl's face when she mentioned the stalls. Carol patted his shoulder, "Everyone starts with the worst job, if you can handle that you can handle anything."

"It's just horse shit, how bad can it be?" Daryl said, trying to be confident. But with Cal and Andre snickering behind him his confidence was wavering. When Carol took him to the stables he was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar stench. It was bearable though and suddenly he felt sure he could handle it. But when she led the first mare out of the stall and handed him a shovel Daryl felt his stomach turn over. He was suddenly regretting the 6 biscuits he'd just devoured as he heaved the first pile of shit into the wheelbarrow.

Daryl was not going to give them any satisfaction though. No one was going to laugh while he puked up his breakfast - it wasn't happening. He got enough of that shit from his daddy. He shoveled until the stall was clean and moved to the next. Carol had led all the horses out while he worked so Daryl had 6 stalls to clean. When he was done the wheelbarrow was almost full and he lugged it outside. The fresh air was a welcome change and he took several deep breaths, feeling very proud that he'd survived.

Carol sauntered over to him slowly and Daryl took a minute to appreciate her beauty. She was dressed pretty much the same as the day before, jeans, boots and a different colored tee, but her short dark hair was covered with a bandana. For some reason it made her striking blue eyes stand out even more and Daryl found himself starting into them by the time she arrived.

"We might just make a cowboy outta you yet," Carol said, her eyes sparkling. "Not many survive the first time without at least dry heaving a few times."

Daryl shrugged. "I'm a hunter. There's no smell worse than a half rotted deer someone shot and couldn't track."

Carol nodded. "Listen, you did the worst job we have here, so this afternoon, after lunch, I'm gonna let you do the best." She didn't give any more explanation, just turned and started to walk away. But suddenly she paused and looked back, "you ride, right?"

Is she talking about horses? He wondered. If she was talking about a motorcycle the answer was a resounding yes, but he was pretty sure it was the former. "Yeah, of course," he replied. It wasn't until she walked away that he started to panic thinking of the one and only time he'd rode a horse. It was an epic fail that landed him in a sling, with a broken collar bone for 4 weeks. Daryl had been bucked off by a feisty stallion and had never been back on a horse since. It'll be fine, he reassured himself. I was doing great until the stupid horse spooked. The horses he'd seen Carol take out that morning all seemed calm and friendly.

Daryl dumped the wheelbarrow and went to learn a thing or two about milking until it was time to break for lunch. For some reason he was expecting a stool and a tin bucket but was quite relieved to find the cows were all hooked up to an automatic milking system. Andre was in the process of unhooking the ones that were finished so he showed Daryl how it was done and let him try the next few. The cows were obviously used to it, the barely noticed as he fumbled around with their udders.

By the time they were all finished Daryl's stomach was grumbling again. He was thankful when Carol wandered in to let them know that Theresa had lunch ready. The guys washed up and followed her into the house. Lunch consisted of grilled cheese sandwiches and home-made tomato soup. Daryl was finished every last bite before the rest had barely got started. He was delighted when Theresa refilled his bowl without asking. It was the best soup he had ever tasted. Much better than the cans of Campbell's he would make for himself at home.

Carol was sitting to his left and when he finished the second bowl of soup she picked up half her grilled cheese and held it out to him. "I'm not that hungry today," she explained.   
"Don't want to throw it out." Daryl took it, mumbling a quick thank you, wondering if she really was full or if she was just being nice. Either way, he was thankful for more food. The hard work and fresh air made him incredibly hungry.

Carol's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Cal, can you saddle up Cherokee and Pookie? I'm gonna let Daryl run them with me this afternoon." The mention of riding made Daryl's stomach flip flop. He'd survived the stall mucking without embarrassing himself, but would he be so lucky with his next challenge? Cal left to get the horses ready as Daryl finished up his lunch.

"Ready?" Carol asked as he finished chewing his last bite. Daryl nodded and followed her outside. She walked up to a beautiful chestnut mare and stroked her gently, "this is my baby, Cherokee Rose." Carol moved to the other horse, a large white mare, "and this is Pookie." She laughed at the look on Daryl's face at the name. "She's very gentle and kind, the name suits her." She handed him the reins and quickly mounted her horse. Daryl watched the graceful and easy way she hopped up into the saddle and was both envious and nervous at the same time.

Daryl awkwardly stuck a foot in the stirrup, like she had done. This horse seemed bigger than the last one he was on. He struggled a bit to get the reins situated and he grasped the saddle horn and swung his leg over. Okay, that wasn't so bad, he thought. The horse seemed to know what to do without much direction on his part. She automatically started to follow the other horse and soon he was right beside Carol as their mounts walked together.

She didn't say a word to him until they were out of earshot of the others. "You don't ride do you?" Carol asked him.

"I've rode before," Daryl shot back defensively.

"Once? Twice?" Carol asked, raising her eyebrows.

Daryl sighed, defeated. "Okay, it was only once. And I might have ended up with a broken collarbone," he added, looking at her sideways with a sheepish grin. There was something about her that made him feel like he could be completely honest and she wasn't going to judge him. Carol made him feel calm and relaxed.

Carol laughed and the sound of her laughter made him feel happier than he'd felt, maybe in his entire life. He could tell she was special. "Well don't worry, Pookie knows exactly what she's doing. I didn't know how much experience you had so I figured I'd give you the best to start."

They moved farther away from the barn and the house, until Daryl could barely see them when he looked back. "Listen, I get the sense that you have a lot of pride," Carol said seriously. "I can teach you… to ride I mean. No one else had to know that you're a beginner."

"Ok," he replied simply. Daryl wasn't sure how it was so easy for her to read him. It would have annoyed the fuck out of him if it was anyone else. But for some reason it felt almost natural with Carol.

"You eat every meal like it's your last," she teased him. "Have you never had home-cooked food before?"

"Nope," Daryl said truthfully. "Not that I remember anyway. Maybe when I was a kid, before…"

"Before what?" Carol prodded.

"Nothing," he said, clamming up.

She knew enough to drop it and they continued in silence for a moment. Daryl got nervous she might start asking him more questions he didn't want to answer so he decided to deflect before she did. "So seriously, how does a 25 year old woman end up with 90 acres all to herself?"

Carol pulled the reins to stop her horse and Pookie automatically stopped too. "Maybe someday I'll tell you the whole story, but for now all you need to know is that my husband was an asshole. But he was a rich asshole and when he died I got all of this." She said something else quietly that Daryl couldn't quite make out, but he guessed it was 'and I deserved it.'

"Hold on," she said, with a wicked smile. Daryl was confused until she gave Cherokee a kick and took off. He had just enough time to get a grip on the reins before Pookie took off after them. Daryl held on for dear life, more than a little terrified at first.

He was pretty sure that most beginners don't get to attempt a full run their first time out and as his ass slapped awkwardly on the saddle he muttered several swear words under his breath. He felt like someone was kicking him in the nuts over and over again and Daryl couldn't take it anymore. He yanked hard on the reins and Pookie immediately came to a halt. So quick that Daryl almost fell off. "Fuck," he said out loud, climbing down to tend to his aching nuts.

Carol galloped back towards him and Daryl glared at her. "What the fuck? Are you trying to permanently destroy my balls?" he asked, cupping them gently. "Not to mention my ass!"

"You passed the first test," she replied, smiling at him.

"What are you talking about?" Daryl growled.

"You took charge," Carol explained calmly. "Pookie knows what's she doing, but she also needs to know that you're the boss." Carol patter the horse's nose and hopped off her own. "If you don't teach her that right from the start, she'll walk all over you." Daryl started to wonder if she was still talking about horses, thinking back to the day before in his room where she had asserted herself very clearly. "Let's walk them for a bit, and when you're ready we'll get back on and head home."

They wandered silently while Daryl cooled down. He was amazed that she knew he needed a moment. Most girls he'd hung around never knew when to just shut the fuck up. But Carol wasn't a girl, no, she was most definitely a woman.

Daryl wondered what she thought of him. Did she see him as just another kid? Or did she realize he'd been a man for most of his life. She was friendly and polite, but did she treat him any different than anyone else? Probably not. Don't her your hopes up asshole, he told himself. You haven't got a shot in hell with that babe.

CAROL - CAROL - CAROL - CAROL - CAROL 

Carol took a quick peek at the young man walking beside her. He was handsome, very handsome. But he's 17, she reminded herself. Soon to be 18, another voice crept it. Either way, he was an employee and she knew she shouldn't be thinking about how good looking he was.

There was something about him that intrigued her though and she couldn't let it go. He came in with this chip on his shoulder and she assumed he was just going to be another redneck asshole that wouldn't last a week. They'd had their share of kids come out and give hard work a try only to high tail it back home a few days later.

Daryl was different. Whether he really did have a strong work ethic or was just incredibly stubborn Carol felt certain he'd be around all summer. She'd be spending a lot of time with this handsome stranger who already had her attention.

Since her husband Ed had died almost 2 full years ago she had been focused solely on the farm. Carol was hell-bent to make it on her own. She had gone through an incredible transformation in that time, with the help of close friends like Theresa and Cal. He was the closest thing to a father she had.

There had been no time to think about guys. Though she was only in her mid-20s, she'd experienced almost 8 years of marriage. And now, even though it was over, she still had huge responsibilities.

But late at night, when she was laying alone in bed Carol wished there was a warm body beside her. She wanted to feel that passion and thunder again. It had ended early with Ed though. It wasn't just the years since his death - she hadn't experienced true passion since long before that.

She snuck another glance at Daryl. He seemed to have calmed down so Carol finally spoke. "Hey, I'm sorry for that. I wanted you to learn to take charge just like you did. But it was mean. Are you okay?"

"Well I might have to put my ass and testicles on ice when we get back, but I'm sure I'll live." It came out as a grumble but Carol detected no heat behind it. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks picturing the scene he just described.

She quickly changed the subject. "Listen, tomorrow night there's a barn dance, over at the neighbours. Everyone within 20 miles shows up. Happens once a month. We usually finish early and everyone goes for a bit. You don't have to..." Carol let her voice trail off then quickly added, "but it's a lot of fun."

"Sure, why not?" Daryl agreed.

"Great," Carol smiled at him. "So you ready to try riding back in? We won't ride again until Saturday. You're gonna be sore."

"No shit," Daryl replied stopping the horse and doing the same awkward mount he'd done when they left. She made a mental note to help him figure that out next time, away from the others.

Carol climbed on Cherokee and started her walking slowly. She had to take deep breaths the entire way back to avoid bursting out laughing at the cuss words coming out of Daryl's mouth with pretty much every stride.

Yes Daryl Dixon definitely had her attention, whether she wanted to give it to him or not.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl had been determined to be up, dressed and at the breakfast table before Carol had to call him the next morning. But when his alarm went off and he went to move every muscle in his entire body protested. He suddenly felt 88 as opposed to a week away from his 18th birthday.

It took so long to get out of bed and waddle to the bathroom that Carol was knocking on his door before he had even finished brushing his teeth. "I'm coming," he mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Suck it up you big pussy, Daryl said to himself as he winced trying to pull up his pants. His balls seemed to have healed fast. He had given them a little TLC before bed the night before, thinking about the woman sleeping down the hall. But the rest of his body was a write-off. He knew things would improve once he started moving around, but moving around initially was the problem. He pulled on a sleeveless t-shirt with a groan and finally Daryl was ready.

He took a few tentative steps to practice hiding the amount of pain in his ass and thighs but gave up quickly. There's no way he was hiding it, they were all going to notice. In fact, they actually seemed prepared. Cal tossed something at him as he limped into the dining room. Daryl caught it. "This will help, but whatever you do, don't put it anywhere near your ass or your package… trust me," Cal grinned at him. Daryl looked at the tube, it was some type of horse liniment or something. "That stuff works miracles, go use it now or you'll never survive the day."

Daryl crept back to his room and worked the ointment into his muscles. It smelled terrible and within a few seconds he was on fire. "Holy shit, fuck, shit, fuck shiiiiiit," he whined out loud. It took a few minutes but the burn started to ease and he actually found it easier to walk. Daryl went into the bathroom and washed his hands, then headed back to the dining room for breakfast. By that time everyone had left except Carol.

"Better?" she asked with a smile. Daryl felt his cheeks flush when he looked at her, after he'd pictured her naked while he beat off the night before. "You okay?" Carol asked confused at his reaction.

"Yeah, yeah, fine," he croaked. "That shit's amazing," Daryl added, trying to refocus on the conversation.

As he got closer Carol wrinkled her nose, "too bad it doesn't smell amazing." She pushed a plate of pancakes at him, "eat up, lots to do today."

Daryl was almost finished eating when Andre burst in the front door, yelling, "Carol, Carol, we need the rifle, fast." He flew into the dining room as she got to her feet. "Coyotes… pack of them… they have a cow circled…"

"I'll help," Daryl jumped up, suddenly forgetting all about his sore body as the adrenaline kicked in. He ran to his truck and grabbed the crossbow he used for hunting. By that time Andre had brought the rifle to Cal and Daryl ran after him towards the pasture. His heart was thumping with excitement. Hunting had always thrilled him and this time the kill was even more essential.

He saw the pack with a lone cow trapped in the middle. Daryl counted 5 of them. He noticed one was about to lunge so Daryl aimed and fired. He hit the coyote in mid-air and it fell to the ground with a thud. Cal shot him a quick look of shock and appreciation.

"I don't know if I can take a shot without risking hitting her," Cal muttered. "A warning shot might scare them off, but they look too hungry."

Daryl didn't say a word, just took another shot and dropped a second coyote, then a third. There were only 2 left, but the cow was between them. "No," he heard someone call out as he jumped the fence and ran towards them. One of the animals spotted him and started in his direction with a growl, but Daryl was ready. He shot and the coyote fell with a whimper. "Come on bitch, come at me," he called out to the last one. It seemed confused as to whether to ignore him or not. Daryl still wasn't in position to take a shot so he moved closed, circling around the cow. That got the beast's attention and it snarled at him, lunging in his direction. Daryl stumbled as he reeled backwards and ended up flat on his ass. But just in time he shouldered the crossbow and shot. The last coyote lay squirming only a foot away from where Daryl was sprawled on the ground.

Suddenly, people came running towards him. Carol was at his side, "oh my God, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, standing and brushing himself off. "I'm good."

"Where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?" Cal asked, clapping him on the back.

Daryl shrugged, blushing at the attention, "Been hunting since I was 7."

He struggled through the rest of the accolades from the others, feeling more than a little embarrassed at the fuss. When it finally died down Carol came over. "I know all that attention bothered you," she said softly. "But I just want to thank you. Saving a single cow might not seem like much but it is important to me and I owe you for what you did."

"You don't owe me nothin," Daryl replied. He looked at her and once again he couldn't help but be completely honest. "I enjoyed it," he mumbled.

Daryl knew Carol was looking at him, but he was afraid to look up and see the disappointment in her eyes at how anyone could enjoy killing things. But when he finally had the nerve to look up he was surprised. There was no disappointment at all, just a knowing smile and understanding in her eyes. "It's okay," she touched his shoulder. "Never be ashamed of who you are."

Daryl had spent his entire life being ashamed of who he was. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. Even after she walked away, he stood there for a long time, her words ringing in his ears. It wasn't until Jeff called out, asking him for a hand moving away the carcasses, that Daryl snapped out of it. With one last look in Carol's direction he went back to work and tried to let go of how much her words affected him.

The day passed quickly and it was soon time to get showered and changed to head to the party. Daryl wasn't sure what exactly people wore to these dances, but it didn't matter because he only had several varieties of the same outfit - jeans and sleeveless shirts. He did bring his leather motorcycle jacket so Daryl added that and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't usually give a shit what he looked like, but for some reason it seemed more important. His hair was looking a bit shaggy as it dried after his shower so Daryl combed it again. With one last look he was satisfied and headed out of his room to meet the others.

.~.~.~.~.

Carol dug through her drawer looking for the right pair of jeans. She had one pair in particular that fit just a little bit more snugly than the others and she was determined to find them. They happened to be at the very bottom of the drawer and she smiled as she pulled them out. They fit perfectly and Carol was very pleased with the way they made her ass look.

She chose a plaid button down shirt doing up a few buttons then tying the bottom in a knot. It showed a tiny bit of her tummy. Not enough to look trashy, but enough for people to notice. And who exactly do you want to notice, she asked herself. Carol let the question hang in her mind. She wasn't ready to answer that yet.

Cal, Andre and Daryl were all waiting when she walked into the room. She noticed Cal raise his eyebrows a bit, but ignored him. She also felt Daryl's eyes wash over her and her heart rate picked up slightly. "Sorry, I couldn't find my boots," Carol offered a little white lie as an excuse. Usually she was the first one ready. It wasn't like her to keep anyone waiting.

They all hopped into Cal's truck and headed to the dance. Everyone within 20 miles usually worked out to about 40 people and Carol knew every one of them. The only stranger in the room was Daryl and she had forgot to warn him that he might attract some attention. Carol knew he didn't handle it well and immediately felt guilty. She grabbed his hand to stop him and whispered in his ear, "hey, everyone knows everyone here, I should have warned you. You're going to get stared at all night and a few of the bolder ones might come talk to you. If it ever gets too much, find me. We'll leave."

Daryl gave her a thankful look but the moment they shared in itself had attracted attention. He was doing a great job of ignoring it, at least at first. "Come on," Carol said to him, leading him to the bar.

"What? Are you serious? I can't…" he sputtered, obviously wondering why she was leading a minor to the bar.

"Listen, we're among friends, and we're in the middle of nowhere. If you look around there are a lot of teens with a beer. Thing is, their parents are all here too. We don't let it get out of hand and no one drinks and drives. Never been a problem," Carol explained. She handed him a bottle. "You can have a couple, but you're not getting drunk. Deal?"

Daryl smiled and took the bottle, "deal." Carol could tell he'd had his fair share of alcohol in the past but she wasn't worried he would over-do it. He really seemed to respect her and Carol trusted him. They found a seat with Cal, Jeff and Laura. Theresa had stayed home and Andre was off sitting with some friends his own age.

The band started up and immediately there were people two stepping on the dance floor. They always started off with the Classics - Hank, Merle, Willie. Whenever the band would take a break someone would crank up some of the newer artists like Garth Brooks, Randy Travis and Clint Black. Carol took a minute to scan the room and quickly noticed several women staring at Daryl. Most of the eyes ogling him were teens, obviously smitten by his good looks and bad boy image. The motorcycle jacket definitely gave the impression he was a bad ass.

There was one set of staring eyes in particular that annoyed her deeply. She knew Daryl could easily pass for 22 or 23. He didn't look like a teenager, he looked like a young man. She's fucking pushing 40, Carol though with a scowl. She didn't know what it irritated her so much, but Carol just did not like the way the woman was undressing Daryl with her eyes. Fortunately, he was avoiding eye contact like the plague. Carol knew if this woman actually caught his eye she would be over there like a fly on shit.

They listened to a few songs before someone finally came over to their table. It was a guy she'd danced with a time or two in the past. He was interested in her, but Carol had never looked at him that way. He asked her to dance and Carol politely declined. "No thanks. I'm a little tired tonight," she said sweetly. She caught a look from Cal and ignored it again. Carol loved to dance and he knew it. But she didn't feel right leaving Daryl alone. I'm protecting him, she told herself.

When the band took the first break the DJ played one of her favorite songs. It was a new one by Garth Brooks called Learning to Live Again. Carol was listening, singing along when she noticed the annoying woman headed in their direction. "Oh shit," she muttered under her breath. Carol jumped to her feet, "oh my God, I really do love this song. Come on, dance with me."

Daryl looked like a deer in the headlights. "Uh… no… I don't dance…" he replied nervously.

Carol leaned in and spoke quickly, "I'm saving your ass, just trust me." She held out her hand and he reluctantly took it. Carol led him out to the dance floor, with a quick peek over her shoulder to see the daggers being shot at her.

"I really don't dance," Daryl hissed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Well lucky for you I'm a great teacher," Carol teased. "Just put your arms around my waist," she said and he awkwardly did as he was told. Carol wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now we just sway to the music, it's easy. Follow my lead." He was stiff at first, but once Daryl relaxed he did just fine. "See, nothing to it," Carol said softly into his ear.

She listened to the song and started to enjoy the dance. She felt comfortable in Daryl's arms. Maybe a bit too comfortable, Carol thought. She forced herself to put a little distance between their bodies, but her breasts were still brushing his chest and her nipples were certainly aware of what was happening. Carol chastised her body for reacting but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Eventually they ended up pressed tightly together once again and Carol just gave in. The song was almost over, she could survive another 30 seconds or so.

But apparently Daryl could not. "I gotta go. I need a smoke," he mumbled, letting her go and heading for the door. Carol stood there, baffled for a moment, before taking off after him.

.~.~.~.~.

Daryl put his head down and headed for the door. He could have smoked inside, but he needed out. He needed away from her and away from people. His dick was hard in his pants just from dancing with her and Daryl was completely mortified that she had noticed. He tried to keep things in check but her boobs keep brushing him and the feel of her hips in his hands, swaying with the music, her arms wrapped around his neck… thinking about it again was only making matters worse.

He had a smoke lit and half gone before Carol found him. He had wandered around the back of the building into the darkness. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine, go back inside. I'll be in when I'm done," he replied, hoping she would leave and give him time to calm his raging hormones. He could smell her shampoo as she came closer and it was driving him crazy.

"You haven't smoked since you got here. Not once," Carol said gently.

"Must be why I needed one so badly right now," Daryl shot back, with a little more snarl than he intended.

"Listen, did I do something to upset you?" Carol asked. "That woman that was headed your way is a piranha. She would have been all over you. And she's like 40," Carol added. Daryl snapped to attention at the mention of age.

"Oh well, another week and I won't be jail bait any longer," Daryl said. The words rolled off his tongue before he had a chance to take them back.

Carol was quiet for a moment before speaking, "another week huh?" He was almost positive he detected the slightest hint of a smile as she left him to finish his smoke.


	4. Chapter 4

When Carol arrived the next morning for breakfast Daryl was already at the table waiting. She noted that he seemed to be getting the hang of the early morning and daily routine pretty quickly. They had headed home from the party not long after she had left him outside the night before. Carol could tell he was ready to go but didn't want to spoil everyone else's fun by asking. The only one upset about leaving was Andre, who had found a cute blonde to dance with.

They were the first ones to arrive that morning and Theresa was still working on food in the kitchen so Carol took her usual seat. "I wanna ride again today," were the first words out of Daryl's mouth as she sat down.

Carol narrowed her eyes, "are you sure?" She was skeptical. "It might be better to give it another day so your… muscles… can recover," Carol said, with the hint of a smile.

"No really, I'm ready. That shit Cal gave me is like some miracle cure or something," Daryl replied eagerly. "I want to ride today. I mean, unless you have other work you need me to do," he added, realizing he was coming on strong.

Carol was happy that he enjoyed riding enough to want to get back out there so soon, but she couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was more the company than the actual riding itself. The thought of spending more time alone with him was a bit unnerving and Carol felt her stomach flip flop. Stop, she thought, you're going riding, that's all. "No it's fine, we can go again after morning chores are finished if the storms hold off." They were calling for thunderstorms late in the afternoon, but Carol figured they should have enough time for a quick ride before they rolled in.

The morning passed quickly as usual and after lunch she took Daryl to the stables and taught him how to saddle up Pookie. Carol walked him through all the steps but made him do it himself. Once they had both horses saddled up she gave him a quick lesson on mounting. When Daryl got on the horse this time he looked far less awkward and Carol smiled. She loved how he was such a quick study.

They started out slowly and Carol gave him pointers. "My first tip is to make sure you're sitting back in the saddle. Too far forward and you're going to…" Carol blushed a bit but finished, "squish your nuts."

"Yeah, definitely don't want to go doing that again," Daryl muttered, adjusting his position in the saddle.

Carol had him increase his pace to a slow trot as they put distance between themselves and the farm. They were a good ways out before Daryl finally admitted he was hurting, sort of. "Umm, any chance we could walk for a bit?" he asked.

"Sore?" Carol teased him.

Daryl gave her a half grin, "Don't say 'I told you so.'"

"I would never say that," Carol said coyly. "But I'm thinking it," she added with a laugh, stopping Cherokee and sliding off. She pet the horse gently and scratched her nose lovingly. They both held the reins and started walking with their horses. After a few minutes of silent walking Carol spoke, "Any chance you changed your mind about coming to church tomorrow?"

"Oh hell no," Daryl said. "I ain't never been to church and I don't plan on starting now," he said bitterly. Carol sensed that there was a good reason Daryl had such an aversion to God, though she wasn't sure if he would ever tell her. Daryl didn't seem like the type to share much about himself but Carol also sensed that he may never have had anyone he could talk to. "'sides, I don't have no church kind of clothes." The fact that he added that last bit made Carol smile, but she looked away to hide it from him. It told her he had considered going, at least for a second.

When she looked away Carol noticed the looming darkness off to the west. "Oh shit, there's no way we'll making it back before that," she said, directing Daryl's attention towards the black sky.

"Woah, that's come up fast," Daryl said with a look of surprise.

Mother Nature replied with a deep grumble of thunder and Carol stopped Cherokee, patting her calmly. "Come on, get back on and follow me," Carol said, mounting the horse. "Pookie is usually pretty good with storms, but Cherokee is not." She looked at him as the wind picked up. "I'll try not to go too fast, but that storm will be on us any minute."

"Where are we…." Daryl started to say, but she took off before he could finish. Cherokee wanted to run and Carol struggled to hold her to a pace that Daryl could keep up with safely. They had built a storm shelter nearby for situations like the one they were in. Storms came up quick and they needed a safe place to stable the horses and get out of the weather until it passed.

Carol turned in the saddle to look back at Daryl just as another crack of thunder boomed. She wasn't prepared when Cherokee spooked and reared up. Carol struggled to grab something, anything to avoid falling off, but it was too late and her grip on the reins slipped away. She hit the ground with a thud and Cherokee bolted. "Fuck," Carol shouted, jumping to her feet.

She ran towards Daryl and pulled herself up into the saddle, in front of him, taking the reins. "Feet in the stirrups," she ordered him. "Stand, keep your ass off the saddle, lean forward and hold on to me." That was all the instruction she gave before giving Pookie a kick and taking off after the other horse.

Daryl had his arms wrapped around her and seemed fairly secure and they galloped as fast as she could push the horse. They were quickly gaining on Cherokee Rose. They closed the gap even more when the thunder rolled and the horse reared up again. "When we get close enough I'm gonna reach for the reins, you'll need to take over Pookie again," Carol shouted over her shoulder. They approached the other horse and Carol circled around in front of it. They got lucky, really lucky. Cherokee froze and Carol was able to just slide off Pookie and grab the reins.

She took several deep breaths and grabbed the bridle, pulling the horse's nose down and resting her cheek on it. "It's okay baby girl," she whispered, soothing her for a minute.  
Carol jumped back into the saddle, making sure to have a tight grip this time. She was incredibly embarrassed and angry with herself for what happened. She hadn't been knocked off a horse since she was a little girl. "Come on," she said gruffly to Daryl. Leading them to the shelter as the rain started to pelt down.

They made it to the stable without incident and led the horses inside. They put each horse in its own stall and Carol gave them some food before finally taking a seat on a bale in the main room beside Daryl. "That was fucking awesome," he said, looking at her with awe.

"No, it wasn't," she shot back angrily.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Daryl mumbled. "I didn't mean… I just… the way you took off like that and got her back… I…"

Carol sighed, "I'm sorry. It's okay. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She felt awful for being so snippy with him. "It's just, well… I was careless. I knew she spooks in storms and I wasn't careful enough. I'm mad at myself. I know this sounds stupid," Carol said, looking shyly at her hands. "But that horse is my best friend. Buying her was the only good thing Ed did for me," Carol added, unable to hide the spiteful angry tone when she said his name. "Other than dying…" she whispered.

When the tears stung her eyes Carol knew it was going to be one shitty day. She hadn't spoke his name in a long time because even saying it infuriated her. On a good day she could fight the tears, focus on something else, remind herself she was a different person and move on. But she was already angry with herself for falling off the horse, and then for snapping at Daryl, and now for crying. It was one big fucked up mess in her head.

"I'm sorry," Carol apologized again. "I cry when I get mad."

Daryl hesitated, then spoke in a low voice, "I am not good at this kind of shit and I won't have a fucking clue what to say, but if you feel like talking I can listen."

"You wouldn't understand," she muttered without thinking. Carol didn't even realize how insensitive her response was until she saw the look of hurt on his face. She didn't mean to do anything but spare him from having to listen to her baggage, but instead she hurt him again.

Daryl stood, he was angry. Rightfully so, she thought. "I know you look at me and see a kid," Daryl started, voice raised. "But I am not a fucking child. I'm not a kid, I'm not a boy. I haven't been any of those things since my brother moved out of the house when I was 12 and my daddy found a new play thing to pick on." His blue eyes flashed. "I grew up in a hurry. No one has ever done anything for me since my mama died when she burned our house to the ground."

Carol felt horrible for being such an insensitive jerk. "Daryl…"

But he wasn't finished, "So no, I've never ate home cooked meals, I've never had a family, no one has ever bought me a cake and celebrated my birthday… and I sure as hell won't waste time with God when he's never helped me one fucking bit."

Carol had no idea what to say so she did the only thing she could think to do. She stood up and she hugged him. Daryl resisted, but only for a second. Carol rested her head against his chest and she could feel his heart pounding. Eventually he put his arms around her too and they comforted each other. Carol felt tears roll down her cheek as she cried not only for herself, but for him too because she knew he wouldn't.

When they finally parted neither of them spoke for a long time. They both knew that conversation was over, at least for the time being. Carol hated awkward silence so she changed the subject. "So it's the 4th of July in 3 more days. We usually have a big BBQ. Invite some neighbors over and set off some fireworks at night."

Daryl looked at her strangely. "Wait, today is July 1st?" Carol nodded. "Hmm, I must have had my dates mixed up," he muttered.

"Is something wrong?" Carol asked.

Daryl smiled at her, "Nope, not at all. But I almost missed my birthday."

"Almost?" Carol asked. "You mean… today?"

"If today is the 1st," Daryl replied.

"Oh my God, well happy birthday!" she said excitedly. "We need to tell Theresa when we get back, she makes the most amazing cakes."

"Oh no, I don't need no cake. It's no big deal, just another day," Daryl tried to brush it off.

Carol once again saw that he couldn't stand people making a fuss over him. She was stuck between wanting to give him a special birthday like he'd never had before, and wanting to respect his need to keep things low key. She made a silent vow to figure out a way to do both.

"Sounds like the storm is over," Carol said, peeking out the doors. The sun was out again as if the storm had never happened. They saddled up the horses and headed back to the farm.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

When Daryl went to his room that night he saw something on his nightstand. There was a single cupcake with white frosting and a messy happy face in red icing. He grinned, picked it up and ate it in 2 bites. It was the first birthday cake Daryl had since he was 5 years old.


	5. Chapter 5

Carol and Cal both arrived to breakfast before him the next morning and when Daryl walked in she handed him a cupcake. "I made these last night, had a craving for cupcakes for some reason. I don't bake, ever. I hope they're okay…"

Daryl took the cupcake and gave her a knowing smile. "Thank you, I'm sure they are delicious," he said, taking a bite. "Yep," Daryl said after swallowing the first bite. "Delicious."  
Carol smiled and handed one to Cal. "See, he's still alive. Now you eat one."

Cal eyed it skeptically but took a bite, a look of surprise on his face. "Wow, this is actually good." Carol shot him a look. "What? After the last disaster with the cookies how can you blame me?"

"I missed one ingredient," Carol scoffed.

"Yeah the sugar!" Cal snorted.

Daryl started to laugh and Carol shot him a look too. "Both of you just eat your cupcakes and shut it."

By the time Theresa arrived with breakfast the others had all joined them at the table. She was not impressed that they were eating cupcakes before the meal. "Seriously Terry, these things are amazing and Carol made them," Andre said, using the short form of her name and handing her one to try.

"Carol? No way," Theresa said sniffing it before she took a bite. "Wow…"

"See if I ever make anything for you guys again," Carol said, pouting. Daryl was watching the interactions with amusement.

"What's up with you baking anyway?" Jeff asked suspiciously.

Carol glared at him, "I felt like cupcakes, okay?" Daryl felt butterflies in his stomach hoping the truth wouldn't come out.

"Can you pass the eggs," he said to Jeff, hoping to distract him. It worked and soon everyone was passing around the breakfast food and eating, while chatting about other random things.

Daryl helped Andre and Cal get the first round of cows set up for milking. Once everyone left for church he would likely be doing the last set by himself so he paid close attention to what needed to be done. It seemed like they just got the cows in place and the first few were already done. The process was a lot quicker than Daryl had expected, but the problem was… there were a lot of cows.

By the time the two guys had to leave to shower Daryl only had one round of milking left to do. He decided he would catch Carol before she left to see what else she wanted done while they were gone. Daryl had all the cows led into their milking stalls when he saw her come out of the house. Holy fuck, he thought, suddenly deciding that he would just forget about talking to her and find something to keep himself busy. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She looked stunning. She was wearing a short blue sun dress that was the exact color of her eyes. Daryl couldn't see her eyes from where he was standing, but he knew what shade they were from memory. Her dark spiky hair glistened in the sun and her legs… Daryl knew he would be completely hard in a matter of minutes if he kept looking at those legs.

He was about to force himself to look away when Carol caught him starting. "Oh fuck," he said under his breath as she headed in his direction. 

She stopped outside the barn, obviously not wanting to risk stepping in anything. "Hey, did you need me? We're just about to leave."

"Uh, no… I mean yes," Daryl stammered, trying not to look at her boobs. Jesus, don't stare at her tits, don't stare, he told himself. But the damn dress she was wearing showed a hint of cleavage and he really wanted to move closer and see if he could get a peek further down the front. You fucking pervert, he scolded himself.

"Daryl?" Her voice snapped him back to attention.

"Oh yeah." The words came out as a total squeak and Daryl blushed. He cleared his throat before finishing. "I just wanted to know if there was anything you needed me to work on after the milking? I should be done soon."

Carol flashed him a smile and he felt his dick respond. "If you finish up the milking go ahead and take a break until we get back. You'll have earned it."

Daryl had to get away from her so he answered and quickly went back to work. "Ok, thanks. Have fun with God." He was pretty sure that made her laugh, but he couldn't turn back to see or there was no way he was preventing the hard on that was dying to spring up.

Daryl turned his focus back to the cows… but the second he heard the truck leave the conspiracy begun. As he approached, to start hooking up the first cow, it lifted its tail and shit. Daryl was not prepared and the pile of shit landed right on his foot. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he snapped, shaking off as much of the warm shit as he could. He figured he would clean up better once he was done with the cows.

He got the next few cows hooked up without incident but as he leaned in to hook up a particularly large heifer she kicked. Daryl tried to move out of the way, but the cow connected with his face and Daryl reeled backwards, landing on his ass with his head right under the ass of another cow. He scrambled to get up before that cow shit or pissed on his head. "What the fuck?" he yelled. One of the cows responded with a loud mooooooooo. Had he not been so pissed off it could have been funny.

Daryl's face was throbbing but he was too angry to feel the pain. He kept working and finally had them all hooked up. Once the machines had finished their job Daryl started the unhooking process. It was going well until he got his foot stepped on. "Motherfucker," Daryl screamed in frustration. He looked up, "If this is your idea of a joke because I refuse to go to church you can go to… oh never mind. Just fuck off."

He had to take a break for a few minutes until he could walk on his foot without wincing. So much for getting this all finished and taking a nice break, he thought with a scowl. Daryl had no idea how long the others had been gone, but the milking was taking way longer than it should and he wasn't even sure he would have all the cows back in the pasture by the time they returned.

Everything was moving along without incident until he got to the cow that had kicked him. "Okay you evil beast, let's go." Daryl nudged her, but she didn't budge. "Seriously, your food is out there waiting, you look hungry, move," he said, pushing her again. Still nothing. "I hate women," Daryl muttered. "Stubborn… annoying… never do what they're told…" he grunted, trying to give the cow a heave and get her started. It was useless. He skipped over her and led the others out before coming back and trying again. "Come on!" he yelled at the cow. She turned her head and looked at him calmly chewing her cud. "Fine, stay there then," Daryl said. When he turned to stomp away he realized everyone was back and he had an audience.

"Need a hand?" Cal asked with a snicker.

Daryl was so frustrated by that point he wasn't the least bit shy with his rant. "That stupid cow kicked me in the face, knocked me on my ass. And that was after one of her posse already shit on my boot and before another one of those evil things stepped on my foot. And now she refuses to move!" They were all doing a terrible job at not laughing. Daryl had to admit he would probably be doing the same if it was someone else and he finally cracked a smile. "Fuck you all."

"Go in the house with Carol and get some ice for that eye," Cal said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Andre and I will change and get the last cow out."

Daryl snuck a peek at Carol who was smiling at him, just like she had been earlier when she left. Luckily he was in too much pain for his hormones to start raging again. He followed her into the house, looking at the ground to avoid watching her ass in the cute little dress. That might have been just enough to break through the pain. "Sit," she said, pointing at a stool.

Daryl sat but protested. "I'm fine, really. I don't need ice."

"Yes you do," Carol said, handing him an ice pack, wrapped in a tea towel. "If you don't ice it that eye is going to be swelled completely shut." When Daryl didn't immediately put it up to his eye she took it from him and placed it on his face. Daryl couldn't help but wince.

Carol made him stay there for a full 20 minutes before she finally gave in to his constant protesting and let him go back to work. She knew they had a lot to get done before their big Sunday supper. Daryl enjoyed every last bite of Sunday supper. Everything Theresa cooked was amazing but a homecooked roast beef dinner was the best thing he'd ever eaten. He didn't even know what a Yorkshire pudding was before the meal but he decided they were incredible.

Daryl was looking forward to taking a shower and crawling in bed early, so right after dinner he headed to his room. He took a look at his face in the mirror. It was pretty bad and would likely be worse the next day. But his eye wasn't swollen shut so maybe Carol's icing insistence had been worth it.

Daryl put on a clean pair of boxers and was about to get into bed when there was a knock on his door. "One sec," he called out, grabbing clean clothes from the dresser and putting them on quickly. He went to the door in bare feet. It was Carol.

"Hi, I, um, I know you had a bad day and if you're too tired I'll understand. But I have a surprise I'd like to show you and I might be wrong, but I really think it's something you might like." She spoke quickly, almost shyly.

"Oh okay," he replied. "Just let me put my boots on." Daryl grabbed socks and slipped his boots on, wondering what the surprise could possibly be.

Carol led him out to a shed he'd never been in before. She flipped on a light. There was something covered with a tarp and she pulled it off. Daryl was starting at a gorgeous Harley motorcycle. "You ride, right?" she asked.

"Uh, hell yeah," Daryl said, staring at the bike in awe. "But I ain't never rode anything like this."

"It was Ed's but he rarely used it. Never had time anyway," Carol said. "It's been in here for a few year so it needs a tune up. I thought maybe I could have Cal take it into town next week when he goes for supplies. Then maybe next Sunday you can take her for a spin."

"I can do it," Daryl said eagerly. "The tune up, I mean. I helped Merle, my brother, fix bikes all the time. I can give her some TLC." He looked up and met her eyes, "I could do it right now."

Carol agreed and left him to work. Daryl was excited to finally be doing something he was good at. In a few hours he was finished. He wanted badly to go for a ride, but it was late and he really was exhausted. Everyone else would be sleeping, so he knew he would have to wait. Daryl shut off the light and headed into the house with a huge grin on his face. He missed his crappy bike and now he was going to get to ride one that probably cost half as much as the shitty house he'd lived in.

Carol was still awake when he came in. Daryl knew he still had the stupid grin on his face, but he couldn't wipe it away. "It's going to kill you to wait a week to ride that, isn't it?" she teased him.

"Uh, yeah," Daryl replied. He turned to head to his room and then stopped and turned back to face her. "Thank you," he said, genuinely. "For allowing me to work on the bike, and the cupcake too," he added. "No one has ever done nothin like that for me before."

"You're welcome," Carol said simply. She always seemed to know how to make him feel comfortable, never awkward. Daryl said night and left for his room. That night he dreamt of riding the bike. Of course she was on the back in every dream.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

The next two days passed quickly and the 4th of July BBQ was upon them. They rushed through morning chores like they would on a Sunday before church and then started to get things ready for their guest to arrive.

Carol had already planned to give Daryl jobs to keep him busy throughout the day and into the evening. She knew he wouldn't know anyone that was coming would be uncomfortable just mingling around. She could tell he was thankful as he busied himself with helping BBQ, restocking things, cleaning up after the meal, anything at all to avoid sitting around and being forced into awkward conversations with strangers.

After all the issues on Sunday she wasn't sure he was going to like her plan for the evening, but when she suggested it Daryl was happy to do the evening milking and get away from everyone. When one of her neighbors introduced Carol to their grandson who was visiting she suddenly wished she could just take off and be alone like Daryl.

After Ed had been gone for over a year, things like this happened all the time. Her friends and neighbors started to try and set her up with people. They all assumed she wanted and needed a man to help her with the farm. But Carol had been quite content with the help she had and was managing just fine. They never understood that though.

When the visiting grandson slung his arm around her shoulder Carol had enough. She excused herself to go to the "bathroom". The fireworks were starting soon and Carol loved watching them, but she needed to get away from him, even if it meant missing out this year.

Instead of heading into the house Carol found herself heading to the barn instead. Daryl was just leading the last cow out the back and he didn't see her until he came back in. "Hey, did you need me?" he asked.

"No, I'm just hiding," Carol admitted with a laugh.

"Hiding from the big oaf that's been groping you all day?" Daryl asked.

Carol was surprised. She didn't think it had been quite that obvious. "Yeah, that's the one," she sighed. "People have been trying to play matchmaker for a long time and it's starting to piss me off." She looked at him. It was dim in the barn, but the moonlight was shining in from the open doors and it made his eyes shine. "I really want to see the fireworks, but I don't want to go back out there."

"Come on then," Daryl grinned at her, reaching for her hand. Carol put her hand in his and he led her out the back of the barn to avoid anyone seeing them. She shouldn't have been surprised when he took her into the shed with the bike. "We can ride out a bit, away from everyone and watch from there."

"What kind of host am I? Ditching my own party," Carol said. "I probably shouldn't…"

"Oh come on," Daryl urged her on. "Where's your sense of adventure? There's gotta be a wild side in there somewhere," he joked.

Carol found herself climbing on the back of the bike. "You're crazy," she laughed. "So I must be out of my mind." Daryl fired up the engine and they took off, drawing the attention of her guests, even though the fireworks had just started. She hugged him tightly. She'd only been on the bike once with Ed and she'd hated it. He always made her feel like she was doing something wrong, even when she was just holding on and riding. This time it was different. She was comfortable and excited. The wind in her face felt amazing. Carol felt free.

Daryl rode way out the drive, to the road and then cut back towards the house into one of the fields, down a tractor path. It was bumpy and Carol hugged him tighter. When he stopped they had a perfect view of the fireworks and were completely alone.

Carol climbed off and took a seat on the ground to watch. Once Daryl had the bike propped he joined her. Cal loved setting off the fireworks and Carol let him buy whatever he wanted. It was quite the show this year and Carol found herself watching with a huge smile on her face.

When it was over she looked at Daryl, he was smiling too. Even with the puffy shiner on one eye he was incredibly handsome. Carol loved seeing him smile. He seemed to smile a lot when she was around and it made her feel good. Everything about him made her feel good. Daryl made her feel young again, not like some old widow with a shit-ton of responsibility.

When he met her eye Carol couldn't help herself. She leaned over and kissed him, full on the mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

When Carol's lips touched his Daryl froze. He was not expecting her to kiss him and was in complete shock. His mind was racing: kiss her back you fucking moron, show her you know how to kiss a woman, do something… but for some reason he just couldn't get his body to react. Not until she tried to pull away.

Daryl caught the back of her neck gently with his hand and stopped her retreat, then closed the tiny gap and kissed her. He would have never forgiven himself if he missed this opportunity. Carol must have assumed when he froze that Daryl didn't want her kiss, but now that she knew he did it was completely different. Daryl may have initiated the second kiss, but Carol controlled it.

He quickly realized that, though he assumed he knew a thing or two about kissing, Carol was about to teach him a lot more. It's not like Daryl had never made out with a girl before. There were several. But most of them were drunk friends of Merle's current piece of tail. Daryl was pretty sure they had all been "paid" to get frisky with Merle's baby brother. An extra hit of something or a bit of free booze to show little Daryl a good time for a few minutes.

Carol's kiss was something different than he'd ever experienced. There was a hunger, and intensity, that Daryl suspected had more to do with her need for intimacy than anything to do with him. He allowed himself to believe it was a bit of both, though more the former. Daryl wasn't ready to believe that she had any sort of real attraction to him, beyond her need for physical companionship. He convinced himself that she was merely horny and he was convenient, even though he had seen her turn down more than one attractive male in the short time he'd been there.

Eventually Daryl decided to turn off his brain and enjoy himself. He darted the tip of his tongue out to meet hers and Carol groaned into his mouth. The sound and vibrations coursed through his entire body fueling his already raging hormones. Carol maneuvered until she was straddling his lap and Daryl grabbed her ass, pulling her closer. With her new leverage over him Carol took the kiss deeper, plunging her tongue deep into his mouth. It was Daryl's turn to groan this time, not just from the kiss, but also from her body pressing hard against his groin area. He was embarrassed, assuming she could feel his erection and figuring she would think he was some kind of pervert for being completely hard after a little bit of kissing.

Every one of his senses were going insane. Touch – the feel of her ass in his hands, her tongue in his mouth, her body against his. Taste – she tasted sweet, delicious, like something he wanted to devour. Smell – her scent was intoxicating. Soap, shampoo, mingling with her own personal aroma was almost overwhelming him. Sight – even though his eyes were closed Daryl could picture every detail of her face and her body. He could see her in his mind, every second. Sound – the groans of pleasure, fireworks exploding in the background and his own moans as she ravaged him were enough to make Daryl completely crazy on their own.

Daryl had no idea what to do with his hands so he kept them safely on her ass, figuring it was as good a spot as any, for the time being. Eventually he would much prefer them to be inside her pants, even though he'd never actually been in a girl's pants before. But Daryl knew that's what he wanted. Every part of his body was aching for her.

When Carol grabbed his hand, pulling it away from her ass and repositioning it on her boob, Daryl actually realized just how heated things were getting. It finally struck him that this could be the moment he'd been dreaming of. The moment every teenage boy thinks about constantly. And once again… he froze.

~.~.~.~.~.

When Carol set his hand on her breast, encouraging him to touch her, Daryl didn't move at all. He didn't squeeze, or knead, or try to flick at her nipple through the material, nothing. She pulled back and looked at him and that's when it hit her - he has no idea what to do. Carol wasn't sure if he literally had no idea, that was unlikely, or if he was just so nervous that his brain wouldn't tell his body what it was supposed to do. Either way, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she had made him uncomfortable and that she was 99.9% sure Daryl had never been with a woman before.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry," Carol said, flushing with embarrassment. She pushed herself to her feet quickly, putting distance between them. "I didn't mean to…" she stammered. "I'm just… sorry."

Daryl jumped to his feet, just as quickly. Carol's eyes shot to his crotch, she couldn't help it. She knew she'd felt him hard when she was in his lap and she couldn't resist checking it out. He was definitely sporting a massive hard on and Carol felt her cheeks burn again for allowing herself to look. Daryl noticed and moved to adjust himself awkwardly.  
"It's okay, I wa…." Daryl started to speak.

But Carol cut him off. She didn't want him to convince her that what she had done was in any way right. She was overwhelmed with guilt and embarrassment for jumping on him like that. He must think I'm just a horny widow who wants to get laid, Carol thought. "No, really, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Before he had a chance to speak again she continued, changing the subject. "Listen, can we just ride? Somewhere? Anywhere, for a while? I know I'm a terrible hostess, but I don't want to go back there until everyone is gone." Carol couldn't face her guests for more than one reason. They all saw her take off on the back of the bike with Daryl. They would be talking, whispering, gossiping, and she wanted none of that. She also didn't want to chance running into the guy she ditched or the matchmakers that were forcing him on her. But the worst of it was that she felt so guilty about what she'd done with Daryl that she just needed to stay away from people. It was quite ironic though that the object of her guilt was the one she was employing to save her any further embarrassment.

Daryl understood. She knew if anyone would understand it was him. And there was also the fact that she knew he would never turn down the opportunity to ride. Carol was nervous that her damn hormones would start acting all stupid again once she was on the back, with her arms around him, but the feel and the joy of riding was enough to overwhelm her and distract her accordingly.

Daryl was safe and cautious with her on the back. Neither were wearing helmets so he drove a decent speed, but nothing too dangerous. Carol could tell quickly that he rode a lot. He was completely comfortable and relaxed, she could sense it with her arms around him.

Remembering that Daryl wouldn't be familiar with the back roads Carol started to tell him where to turn. She took them in a huge loop around the neighboring farms. By the time they were headed back towards her farm she could see headlights coming down her drive. People were leaving. She had Daryl turn around so they would avoid passing any of her departing guests. They made a smaller loop and once they circled back the headlights were gone. Carol breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everyone was gone, including Jeff, Laura and Theresa. Cal and Andre were nowhere to be seen either, so Carol assumed they had gone to bed.

Daryl parked the bike back in the shed and they got off. "I'm just gonna clean it up and check a few things," he said to her.

"Okay," Carol replied, turning to leave. "Night." She couldn't risk saying anything more, but she hoped he knew she was thankful for what he'd done for her.

Before she'd made her escape Daryl spoke again. Carol didn't turn around, just stopped to listen. "Hey, wait one sec." His voice sounded nervous. "I just need you to know you didn't do anything wrong." Carol gave a slight nod of her head. Enough for him to know she'd heard what he said, but not enough to indicate that she'd agreed or disagreed.  
Carol realized he could have been talking about several different things she'd done that night, but she would be fooling herself if she didn't connect it to the one thing obviously on both of their minds. The kiss really had been fantastic. Maybe he was a virgin, but he was certainly no saint. The boy had kissed enough to know what to do with his marvelous tongue. Carol had sensed he wasn't overly confident in his skills and wished she could just go back and tell him how talented he was.

It suddenly dawned on her as she changed her clothes and slipped into bed, Daryl really needed someone to make him believe in himself. But that person couldn't be her. It just couldn't. Could it?

By morning Carol had answered her own question. No, it definitely couldn't be her. She needed to keep her distance from Daryl. No more spending time alone with him or making special trips to just "happen by" where he was working to see him. Carol couldn't play with him like that anymore, it wasn't fair. But when she actually asked herself why, she never could completely figure out the answer.

The first couple of days went well. She kept herself busy and kept Daryl busy so they simply didn't have time to talk. But by the third day her mood was ridiculous. She snapped at almost everyone, at least once in a single day, which she realized was more than she'd snapped at some of them in the entire time she'd known them. When she got mad at Cal for leaving Cheerokee's stall door open, even though she was securely tied, he shot her a look and she snapped at him again for the look. Cal didn't push it. He respected that she was his boss, but they had known each other for years and she had a sneaky suspicion she hadn't heard the end of it.

Daryl tried to approach her that night after dinner. They hadn't rode in several days and she knew that's what he was going to ask about. "Um, hey, any chance we can go riding tomorrow?" he asked. "It's actually been almost a week and I kinda miss it," Daryl said with a shy grin. His damn little tiny smile almost broke her wall like he'd shot a cannon ball at it. And the fact he enjoyed riding and wanted to go again… all she wanted to do was smile back, hug him and let him know how much she wanted to go riding with him too.

"I have to go to town for supplies with Cal tomorrow," Carol lied. Andre normally went with Cal, but she would be sure to change those plans accordingly. "But I can arrange for you to join Laura and Jeff when they go out," she offered.

Carol tried not to see the look of sadness on his face, but she didn't completely miss it and it stung her. She hated being such a jerk, but she just couldn't be alone with him for a while. Or ever. "No it's okay," Daryl replied. "I'll wait until another day that you can go with me." He gave her a smile and said good night. Carol realized that he didn't know yet that she was avoiding him. Or if he suspected it, he hid it well. She thought he had left and sunk into a chair at the dining room table. But he came back. "Hey, uh, are you alright?" Daryl asked.

"Fine," she snapped. It was the first time she'd snapped at him and she shocked both of them. Even though most everyone else had bared the brunt of her mood, Daryl had avoided it until then.

"Not you're not," he snapped back. "You've been snotty with everyone for days. I know I haven't really known you that long, but I can tell that's not you." Carol went to walk away and he grabbed for her. He caught her wrist gently. "If I've done something wrong you need to tell me," Daryl said, his voice changing from angry to desperate.

Carol shook her wrist free. "Don't ever touch me," she said, her eyes flashing. Even though his touch was gentle, not rough or insistent, merely grabbing her wrist like that in an air of dominance brought back memories of Ed.

Daryl recognized that he had struck a chord, though he obviously had no idea exactly what he'd done. "Oh, I didn't know…" he muttered. Daryl was an abused child and he immediately recognized her response as that of someone who had been hurt in the past. "Carol, please, I'm so sorry… I didn't know."

She wasn't sure if it made matters better or worse that he read her reaction so easily. It was comforting to be with someone who understood and actually empathized with what she'd been through. But at the same time it wasn't something Carol wanted him to know about. She knew Daryl wouldn't feel sorry for her. He knew what that was like and hated it, so he would never pity her. But it was just one more thing that bonded them and she wasn't sure she could continue to fight yet another connection.

Carol sighed, "it's fine. Everything is fine. Just go to bed, please?"

Daryl nodded and mumbled yet another "sorry" as he left.

The next morning Carol's mood was the worst it had been yet. When Andre asked why she wanted to go on the supply run she lost her shit on him for questioning her authority. Cal gave her another look. "Don't," she warned him icily, turning on her heel and heading for the truck. There was silence all the way to town. When they got there Cal headed off in one direction to place their order and pick up a few things and she headed to the Co-Op to deal with the animal feed.

It was usually a male dominated place, but just her luck the three worst gossips within 100 miles had congregated by the front checkout, likely waiting for their husbands. Carol breezed past them and busied herself looking at a few things in hopes they would leave so she could start her order. She heard the whispers start before she was even out of earshot and she flushed red with anger and embarrassment. The only words she actually heard were, "someone said he's only 16."

When they continued to whisper and stare for well over 15 minutes Carol had enough. She stomped to the front and let them have it, "is there something you'd like to say to me? To my face? Because I can hear you talking about me and if there's something you'd like clarified I'm more than willing to answer your questions." The three women started at her with mouths gaping open.

"Well there's no need to be rude," one of them said, just as Cal walked in.

Carol's anger boiled over. "Rude? You want to talk about rude? You're the one standing there starting rumours that I'm sleeping with a minor. If I was really doing what you're saying I am I could go to jail," she said, furiously. "But I'm not fucking him! And he's 18 you stupid little twits."

Cal swept in and swiftly ended the conversation by leading her away. "Go sit in the truck. I'll finish here and then we'll have a chat on the way back." Carol was too angry to even argue with him. She stomped to the truck, got in and slammed the door, then sat there and stewed, waiting for Cal.

When he came he went to her side and opened the door. "Scoot, you're not driving in this mood," he said. Carol slid over with a pout, knowing he was right. Cal took off and waited until they were out of town before talking.

"I knew that's what your mood was about," he started. "But I was trying to let you sort it out on your own."

"What are you talking about?" Carol asked, pretending she had no idea.

Cal pulled over to the side of the abandoned road and put the truck in park. He turned and looked at her. "Daryl. That's what this is about isn't it?" He sought out her eyes. "Your mood. Carol, this isn't you. You have never yelled at Andre for anything, or Theresa for that matter. Not once. And you've snapped at the boy twice in two days." His voice was calm. "What's got into you? Talk to me."

Carol was frustrated, but she was ready to talk. She needed to get it out. "I kissed him, okay?" she admitted, looking away. When she looked back Cal was smiling. "Don't smile, this isn't a good thing."

"Sounds like a good thing to me," Cal said. "Or was he a terrible kisser? That would suck," he teased her.

"No," she replied quickly, without thinking. "I mean, the kiss was fine… but it shouldn't have happened."

"Why not?" Cal asked simply.

Carol looked at him with her best 'are you kidding me right now' look. "Cal, he's a kid. He's only 18. And I'm some old widow with a lot of baggage," she finished with a pout.

Cal laughed. "If you're old then I must be ancient." His voice became more serious. "I want you to listen to me, to every word. I'm only going to say this once and I'll never bother you about this again." He reached for her hand. "Carol, you've been through a lot of shit and I've seen every bit of it. If anyone deserves to be happy it's you." She felt tears stinging her eyes as he talked. "Since that boy showed up, and I only call him a boy because I'm old enough to be his daddy, you have never looked happier. You glow when he's around, like I've never seen before. There's a sparkle in your eye and it's beautiful. In 20 years it won't matter that you're 7 years older. That's nothing. If that's the only thing that's holding you back than just let it go." Cal reached out and wiped a tear off her cheek. "I have to admit when he first showed up I thought he was a little punk. But he's a hard worker. He has skills and instincts far beyond his age. And he's a better person when he's around you."

"How would you know that?" Carol asked with a snort.

"I just do," Cal replied softly. "I can see how much he's changed in a couple of weeks. I can only imagine what you'll do with him by the end of the summer." Carol looked up at him. She didn't remember her own daddy, but she was sure he couldn't have measured up to the man she was looking at. "You two need each other Carol. Trust your heart for once and don't be so damn stubborn." Cal reached for her, "now come here." He pulled her into a hug and Carol let herself cry for a minute on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she said pulling back. "If everything ran smoothly today, without us, I'm going to let everyone quit early today. I've been a jerk the last couple days…"

"Yeah you kinda have," he interrupted and Carol punched him in the arm.

Cal started the truck and they headed back home in silence as Carol planned exactly how she was going to apologize to the others, and especially how she would make it up to Daryl.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl was still feeling bad about the night before so when Carol told them all they could quit early he headed straight to his room. He didn't want to risk upsetting her again. She seemed like she was in a better mood than she had been, but Daryl still decided it was best not to push his luck. Carol had offered for Andre to take her truck and go see some friends. Daryl couldn't help but smile at how excited the kid was. He also overheard her telling Jeff and Laura about something special she was going to do for their wedding. They seemed thrilled. Daryl couldn't help but wonder if she was doing something special for everyone but him when he saw Carol take off after Theresa to talk to her privately too. She must be really mad at me, he thought, concluding that avoiding her really was for the best.

Daryl opened the window in his room, it was hot inside and the cool breeze felt good. He looked out the window, but there wasn't much to see. The sun hadn't completely set, but his room was at the back of the house and faced nothing but acres and acres of fields. His bed was positioned perfectly where he could still feel the air so Daryl kicked off his shoes and socks and flopped onto the mattress.

He wondered what Merle was up to but quickly decided he didn't care. It was always the same old shit with Merle. Dealing drugs, doing drugs, drinking, women, getting in trouble with the cops… Daryl was sick of it and glad he was getting a break for a while. He knew that deep down Merle wanted what was best for him, which was one reason he'd pushed him to take the job. Daryl wondered if Merle would care if he never came home again. He thought about taking the money he earned at the end of the summer and just heading off somewhere, anywhere but home. The idea was tempting. Very tempting. But Merle was blood and Daryl knew he loved him, even if he was a dick most of the time. He certainly couldn't just take off without telling Merle.

Daryl decided to get up and take a shower. By the time he was finished the sun had disappeared and the room was dark. He flipped on a light beside the bed and slipped on a pair of comfy pajama pants, commando. It was hot, he planned on sleeping nude anyway, but figured he'd at least put on a pair of pants for the time being. He started to walk towards the TV to turn it on and check out the 2 channels they got, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Daryl considered grabbing a shirt. He had a couple nasty scars on his back from his dad's belt he liked to keep hidden. But he decided to just answer it and face forward so whoever was there wouldn't see them. Daryl yanked open the door and stared at the vision before him. Carol was holding a steaming mug of coffee, wearing a short, sexy yellow dress. She gave him a brilliant smile. "Hi, can I come in?" she asked.

He momentarily forgot about the scars. Daryl likely couldn't have even spoke his name at that point. He simply opened the door wider and ushered her in, then closed it behind them. As he watched her walk, her long legs mostly bare since the dress was so short, Daryl had a funny feeling she hadn't dressed in anything like that in quite a while. It wasn't that she looked uncomfortable, it was actually just the opposite. She looked like she was really enjoying feeling as sexy as she had to have known she looked.

"I wanted to apologize to you," Carol said, turning to face him. "I've been terribly rude to everyone the last few days, yourself included, and it wasn't fair." Daryl's mouth was dry. He couldn't think and couldn't speak. The way she was looking at him was mesmerizing and there was a hunger in the air that even an inexperienced teenager could recognize. She hadn't just come to apologize, that much was clear.

Daryl swallowed and attempted to formulate some sort of coherent response. "It's fine," was all he could manage.

Carol laughed. The sweet melodic sound made his heart flip flop. "That was way too easy," she teased. "You could have made me grovel Daryl, I would have." She laughed again and Daryl noticed there was just something a little bit different about her laughter. It was a little more relaxed, maybe even flirty. And her eyes, they were soft and warm, like they were inviting him in, tempting him. Daryl knew if he let himself fall into her he would be lost in those eyes forever. When she looked outside and giggled Daryl knew he was done for. "Andre has been driving my truck up and down that road all night. I'm pretty sure he's going to run me completely out of gas." She turned back to Daryl and smiled, "but I'm glad he's having fun."

Carol set down the mug of coffee and Daryl was pretty sure she hadn't even taken one sip. She moved towards him and the closer she got the harder it got to breathe. She stopped about a foot away and Daryl realized he needed to breathe or risk passing out. "Listen, about the other night…" Carol started. Daryl's mind was spinning and he wasn't sure if she was talking about the kiss night or the argument night. He nodded anyway, pretending he knew exactly what she was talking about. "When I kissed you…" Daryl was thankful for the clarification, but couldn't decide if it made things better or worse.

Carol stepped a little closer and Daryl fought the urge to take a step back for air, while also fighting the equally as strong urge to take his own step forward and kiss her. "Did you like it?" she asked, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. "I mean, would you like it if I did it again?" Carol batted her eyelashes, "And maybe more?" Holy fuck, what the fucking fuck is happening? Were the exact words that came to his mind.

Daryl suddenly realized if he didn't step up his game, and soon, she was going to think he really was just a kid and take off. He decided that since words were never his strong suit he would answer without speaking. Daryl closed the gap and slipped his arms around her narrow waist. He moved in to kiss her, but stopped when they were so painfully close to touching it physically hurt to not seal the deal. Daryl hovered there as long as he could stand, knowing the suspense had her heart thudding just as rapidly as his.

When their lips finally met it was just the slightest brush but Daryl felt Carol's body shudder against him. He pulled back to look at her, asking if the kiss was a good enough answer to her question. Carol licked at her bottom lip, then the top, tasting the area he'd touched. Seeing her tongue dart out like that undid him. Daryl was on her instantly, seeking out her lips and kissing them hard this time. He needed to taste that tongue, feel it, and make her understand exactly how much he desired her.

Daryl plunged his tongue into her mouth. It may have been forceful had she not been willing and ready to accept him. As he found her tongue and twisted it with his own she moaned into his mouth. Daryl slid a hand down lower and grabbed a handful of her ass pulling her even tighter against him. It shouldn't have surprised him when Carol reciprocated, but when her hand touched his ass and started to squeeze Daryl ceased his plunder of her mouth in shock. His dick throbbed and he wondered if there was actually a chance she could feel it. There wasn't much material between them given the thin fabric of her dress and the fact he'd skipped out on underwear.

With the momentary pause in the kissing it gave Carol the opportunity to speak. "Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked him. She was so comfortable and bold it made Daryl envious. He nodded in reply, likely way too eagerly. "Good, because I want you… badly." Her words stroked him, swirling around in his brain and washing over his body leaving his heart thumping and his groin tightening even more.

She wanted him, badly. This gorgeous woman standing before him wanted to have sex - with him. His first time was going to be with her and he couldn't have been happier or more excited – or more terrified. What if he screwed this up? Getting it up wasn't an issue, it was up, way up, but keeping it there long enough to satisfy her might be a problem when he could barely hold it together kissing her. Daryl decided to find a good way to distract himself from his terror. Her dress was a wrap, tied at the waist. Daryl reached for the tie and tugged. Just as he had hoped, when the belt was loose the dress parted revealing her creamy white skin. It was open enough that he could see she wasn't wearing a bra and that her panties were light pink and sat low on her hips.

It wasn't enough, he needed to see more, so Daryl touched the material at her shoulders and gave it a little nudge. That was all it took to turn the dress into a puddle on the floor and leave her standing before him in nothing but her panties. Her tits were perfect. He'd seen a lot of tits hanging around with Merle, going to parties where everyone but him was drunk or high. But Carol's were just right as far as he was concerned. Not too big, not too small. Perfectly perky, with nipples begging to be sucked.

Daryl didn't get a chance to do any sucking because Carol was on the move, reaching for his pants. Before he knew what was happening she had them off and he was completely exposed, not a stitch of clothing left on. He looked down at his own cock, fully engorged, and silently thanked the lord for at least blessing him with enough to be proud of. God hadn't done much for him, but at least he'd received a big dick along with all the other crap he'd been given. Carol was staring at him too and she was smiling. She slowly reached out and wrapped a hand around his penis. Daryl shuddered and a warm feeling spread through his entire body. No one had ever touched his dick before. The only hand that had ever stroked him was his own, but now here she was running a hand lightly up and down his cock. Her touch was magical and it left him feeling dizzy, weak and ready to explode if she didn't stop.

Carol seemed to recognize this and she released him, moving back to his lips, pressing her tits against his chest. Daryl wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back eagerly. He moved back to her ass but the material covering it annoyed him. Daryl started to push them down until they were far enough she could kick them off herself. He could feel the summer wind blowing in through the window, washing over their naked bodies. There was nothing between them but the night.

Carol broke the kiss and took his hand, leading him to the bed. "Last chance to change your mind," Carol said biting her lip and looking at him, blue eyes twinkling brightly.  
Daryl knew he wanted this, but he had to be honest with her. "Carol, I'm not changing my mind, but you should know…" He knew he was blushing, but he forced himself to continue, "I've never…"

He didn't have to finish. "I figured that much," she said gently. Daryl blushed harder and looked away. "No, I didn't mean… you're not doing anything wrong," she put a hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. "Let me teach you. Can I?"

Daryl's heart was threatening to explode from his chest. She was so fucking sweet and sexy all at the same time. Yes of course he wanted her to teach him. He would do anything she said. Anything she wanted him to do. Daryl nodded at her, once again unable to speak.

Carol moved closer and rubbed her cheek against his while exploring his body with her hands that had somehow turned into the softest velvet touch he had ever felt. She whispered in his ear, "you're beautiful." Then Carol took his hand again and climbed on to the bed, pulling him with her. She made him lay on his back and Daryl realized she was going to fuck him. He had always imagined he would do the fucking his first time and decided to divert her plan. Daryl grabbed her and flipped Carol onto her back. She understood completely. She stopped him before he could start anything else, "hey, it's going to be over quickly and it's okay." She looked into his eyes to make sure he really knew and understood what she was saying. "Which is also why I'm skipping anymore foreplay. I want you to have as much of me as you can your first time." Carol spread her legs to allow him to move into position. Daryl was mesmerized by the perfection he was staring at. It's not like he'd never seen a pussy before. Merle and his dad had porn mags lying around all the time. But this was the first he'd seen close up, ready to be fucked.

He hesitated a little longer than he meant to. "It's okay, go ahead," Carol urged him.

"But I don't want to hurt you," he said innocently.

Carol smiled at him, "you won't hurt me, I promise. Just take it slow. Nice and easy." Daryl moved between her legs. "Hey, I'm nervous too, just so you know. It may not be my first time, but it's been a long time." Her words calmed him enough to get started. His dick was literally throbbing with anticipation and when he just barely touched her center with the tip Daryl was sure he was going to ejaculate right then. He pushed inside her, just slightly and Daryl whimpered. "Hey, shhhh, shhhh, look at me," she whispered, soothing him. "Keep going, you're doing great."

Daryl pushed a bit more. He was feeling sensations he had never experienced. She was so wet and warm and incredibly tight. Once again he worried about hurting her. Carol must have sensed that. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, drawing him into her slowly until he was completely inside. Daryl stared at her in awe. It was the most amazing feeling he had every felt in his life. Just being inside her, having her wrapped around him, filling her up, feeling her warmth and slick wet juices was far better than even orgasming when he jerked off. Daryl was afraid to even imagine what it was going to feel like to come inside her.

"See, you're not hurting me. This feels incredible," Carol sighed. "Now move. Fuck me Daryl." Her tone was soft and demanding at the same time. It made him want to please her even though he knew she was making this moment all about him. Daryl slid out part way and pushed back into her. His senses were exploding, overloaded with sensations that were new and exciting and so fucking incredible. Daryl slid in and out slowly, a couple more times, pushing deep into her each time. Carol gasped the first time and whimpered the second, all while staring into his eyes, never breaking contact or closing her eyes.

Daryl was almost positive she had gotten even wetter when he started to move. She felt so slick on his cock. "Faster Daryl," she pleaded with him. It felt so good to have her begging him and knowing he was causing her pleasure. Daryl knew there was no possible way it felt as good for her as it did for him and he vowed he would find a way to make it up to her. When he started to quicken his strokes Daryl knew exactly what she had meant when she said it wouldn't take long. He was going to explode any second. There was no chance he was fighting it off. At that point even if he pulled out completely he couldn't have held back the orgasm. He pushed into her one last time and blew up. Daryl watched her face for as long as he could, but the sensations took over and he closed his eyes, revelling in the extreme responses his body was engaged in. It was without a doubt the most blissful experience he had ever been through. Daryl decided this moment could ruin masturbation for him forever. He never wanted to come anyway but like this, for the rest of his life, with her.

When Daryl opened his eyes Carol was still watching him, with a sultry look on her face. "You okay?" she asked with a tiny smile.

"I think my cock just died and went to heaven," he muttered, grinning back at her. "Followed by the rest of me." Daryl sadly withdrew and laid down beside her, listening to his heart thudding in his head. He rolled and looked at her. "I'm sorry that was so quick," Daryl blushed.

"It was beautiful," Carol said. "Besides, we have all night and I promise you the second time won't be nearly that quick." She gave him a wicked smile.

Daryl still felt guilty that he came, but she didn't. "I want to please you," he said, touching her nipple lightly. "Teach me how. Tell me what you like."

Carol's eyes lit up with a devilish glow. She leaned in so her lips were almost touching his. "I know you were a virgin before tonight…" Carol kissed him lightly, then bit his bottom lip and sucked it gently before releasing him. "But Daryl, tell me something… have you ever licked a pussy?"


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl's mouth went completely dry when it really should have been watering. She wants me to lick her pussy, he thought with just as much nervousness as excitement. "Uh, no… I haven't," he admitted. "Oh but I want to," Daryl added quickly to ensure she wouldn't get the wrong idea.

He had seen Merle go down on a girl once and felt like a complete pervert for watching, but he couldn't look away. It's not like Merle was trying to be private about it or anything anyway. They had several people over and he went to town on the chick in the living room on the couch. It was every bit as erotic as it was disgusting. Daryl had never heard a woman make sounds like that before and Merle looked incredibly pleased with himself. He had been thankful when Merle at least took the girl to a bedroom to fuck her. The image of Merle plowing her surely would have been burned into his brain for all of eternity.

"Don't be nervous," Carol said softly. "If you're sure you want to try, I'll let you know what I like." She smiled and suddenly he was once again more than eager to please her. "Come," Carol said, encouraging him to reposition himself between her legs. "Just do what feels natural, explore. I'll make sure you know when you do things I like," Carol said. "You can use your hands too. My only tip for right now – avoid my clit at first, when it's time though, that's how you'll make me come." Daryl nodded, his heart pounding as she opened her legs and he was once again staring at her most private area.

He slowly moved his head down between her legs. The smell was intoxicating. He never knew what the smell of sex meant until this moment and he would never forget it. Daryl nuzzled her thighs and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of one. Carol sighed, so he continued with a few more kisses moving higher and higher, then switching to the other side. While he was kissing her Daryl ran his fingers lightly over her mound, lower and lower, just barely touching her until he found her center. She was wet, he could feel the slick moisture on his finger-tips. Curiously he pressed a finger in deeper, feeling it sink inside her easily. She was warm and slippery. Daryl lifted his head to focus on what his hands were doing. He pulled the finger back out and added a second finger, sliding them both inside her. Carol groaned, "yes, that feels so good." Daryl moved them in and out slowly and she lifted her hips, pressing into his hand, willing his fingers even deeper into her heat.

The smell of her was driving him wild and Daryl couldn't wait any longer to taste her. He moved back to her inner thigh and nipped at her soft skin, then moved higher flicking out his tongue for his first lick. His tongue barely grazed her, but the flavors of her juices exploded on his taste buds as if he'd just drank a mouthful. Daryl continued to move his fingers in and out while exploring around the area with his tongue. "Put your tongue in," Carol said, sighing with pleasure. Daryl withdrew his fingers and delved his tongue as deeply into her as he could. She gasped and Daryl felt himself starting to get turned on again, already. He had jerked off a second round less than 15 minutes after he came several times, so it shouldn't have been surprising to him that he'd be ready to fuck again so quickly. But he wouldn't fuck her again, not until she came, hopefully all over his face.

Daryl was quickly beginning to realize why Merle and every other guy he knew were so obsessed with pussies. He was in heaven between her legs and Daryl never wanted to leave. He continued to plunge his tongue in and out of her, flicking, lapping, thrusting and every once in a while he would pull out and just burry his face in deep and suck at the delicate, delicious folds. Carol groaned again, "use your hands, open me wide and go even deeper." Daryl felt his cock respond to her voice. He loved her telling him what she wanted, not only because he had no idea, but because it was just sexy when she demanded and controlled him. He did as he was told, opening her crease with his fingers and pushing his tongue even deeper inside her, licking and tasting the smooth walls of her vagina. He wanted his cock in her, so badly. Daryl was completely hard and aching to fuck her. But he returned his focus to Carol and continued to pleasure her.

Daryl felt her hands and lifted his head to see what she was doing. Carol spread herself open, up higher and exposed a tiny nub of flesh. "Lick it, slow and gentle," she told him. Daryl darted out his tongue and gave the little area a tiny lick. He was shocked when her entire body shivered with pleasure. He licked it again and Carol moaned. Daryl smiled and did a third slow, tantalizing lick and Carol full on whimpered. He touched her clit again with his tongue, wiggling it a little and Carol thrust her hips up to his face, begging for more. "Oh fuck Daryl, that feels incredible, don't stop… please don't stop," she begged as he continued to flick his tongue over and over. Carol let go of herself and put her hands on his head. Daryl kept his tongue inside the fold, working her clit faster and faster. Her fingers were weaved into his hair and she was pulling, but he didn't even notice the pain.

"Jesus," she cried. "Suck it, suck it hard Daryl, please," she pleaded with him. Daryl opened her wide again and sucked on the nub, then licked it and sucked again. He continued this several times, eliciting high pitched little squeals from her that were driving him absolutely crazy. Daryl needed her to come soon. He wanted in that pussy so badly he wanted to scream. "Of fuck, I'm so close," she whimpered, wriggling in ecstasy. Suddenly she stopped moving for a split second and then her body convulsed and Carol cried out. Daryl didn't know if he was supposed to stop or keep going so he continued to suck as her body writhed. When Carol squeezed her legs against his head and pulled away he stopped and watched her, enjoying the look of pure pleasure on her face and knowing that he caused it.

When Carol finally opened her eyes she looked sleepy, but grinned up at him. "Are you positive you haven't done that before?" she asked. Daryl shook his head. "Well it was amazing," Carol said, pulling him in for a kiss. Daryl realized it obviously didn't bother her to taste herself on him as she slipped a tongue inside his mouth and kissed him deeply.  
Daryl's cock throbbed but he didn't know if it was okay to fuck her. He ground himself against her, just to let her know he was ready and willing. Carol broke the kiss and smiled, then flipped him onto his back. This time Daryl was completely okay with her doing the fucking.

He took a deep breath of anticipation and held it as she grasped his cock and straddled him. Carol lined up and sunk down onto him, taking in just the tip. Daryl thought he might blow his load instantly, even though she assured him it would be longer the second time. "It's okay, I'll go slow," Carol said soothingly. She continued to slide down until he was fully inside her and she was sitting on him. She stayed there for a minute and looked at him, allowing him to feel her and just enjoy being inside her. It felt incredible. So tight and warm and still so wet.

When Carol started to move Daryl closed his eyes and focussed on how incredible it felt. She did take it slow, though he wasn't sure it was going to make him last any longer. He loved how she lifted up so high it was like he was penetrating her over again each time. The tip of his cock felt like it was on fire with all the new sensations.

Once Daryl got to the point where he felt like he had definitely outlasted their first encounter he grabbed her hips and stopped her. Daryl took over and fucked her with short quick strokes. Carol leaned back and he could see her clit. Daryl reached for it and massaged it as he fucked her, wondering if there was any chance she would come again. He got his answer quickly, "Oh God, Daryl," she cried. "Fuck, don't stop… I'm… gonna…" He almost stopped thrusting when she came. It was all of a sudden so much wetter and he could feel her muscles clenching his cock. It was only a few contractions before he exploded. Daryl held tight to her hips, while the orgasm took control of his body and he emptied into her. When he opened his eyes Carol was watching him and Daryl smiled.

He eased his grip on her hips and slid his hands down the outside of her thighs. They were soft and smooth and Daryl enjoyed the feel on his rough callouses. Carol let him rub her for a minute or so before she slid off him and lay on the bed beside him. "I want to just keep doing this forever. Never sleep. Never eat. Just stay here and be with you all the time," Daryl sighed.

Carol laughed. "I really wish we could." She sat up in bed. "But I should go. Morning comes fast and that alarm is gonna be going off before we know it." Daryl felt a huge frown on his face and she obviously saw it too. "Hey, don't look so sad. I promise you this is only the beginning. It gets better and better as we get to know each other more." She had the sexiest glint in her eyes and made Daryl want to grab her and start over again. "I'll figure out exactly what you like," she said huskily.

"Everything. Anything. I mean, I like it all," he replied eagerly.

Carol giggled. "You'll find out exactly what I mean," she teased him. "There are things you'll like more, I promise." She stood up and picked up her dress off the floor, wrapping it around her and tying it. Once she was dressed she came back over to the bed and kissed him softly. "I really am sorry for being a jerk the other night." Carol batted her eyelashes, "do you forgive me now?"

Daryl kissed her again, "if we get to do that after an argument I want to fight with you every day."

"We don't have to fight to do that anymore," Carol replied. "Night Daryl. Sweet dreams." Daryl watched her leave and close his door behind her. He was very thankful that he was exhausted because there was so much going on in his mind that he never would have slept if he wasn't. The door had barely clicked closed and Daryl was snoring softly, a smile still on his lips.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning was awkward for Daryl. Very awkward. He was spending so much time trying not to look at Carol that he ended up looking at her more than he normally would, just to see if she was trying to ignore him too. But every time he looked at her she seemed fine, which only resulted in making him feel even more nervous.

When he blushed furiously asking Carol for the butter Cal finally spoke up. "What's got into you boy? Are you not getting enough sleep or something? You're acting weird."

Daryl felt his cheeks burn even hotter. "Uh no, I really didn't sleep well last night," he croaked, images of exactly why he hadn't slept well flooding his brain.

"Well get it together. We have a lot of work to do today," Cal huffed, harmlessly.

"We have a lot of work to do every day," Andre chimed in. Daryl shot him a thankful look.

"Congratulations, you just won the grand prize," Cal smiled at the young man. "Jeff, the rotation just skipped you, Andre is mucking the stalls."

"Aww, come on," he whined, jumping up. Everyone was finished eating and heading outside to work.

Daryl stood to follow but Carol stopped him. "Hey Daryl, can you give me a hand clearing the table," she asked.

"Oh sure," he muttered as the others cleared out. "Fuck, I'm sorry," Daryl said once they had all left.

Carol laughed, "it's okay, but you really do need to relax. Why are you so nervous? I know you had a great time last night," she added with a whisper.

Daryl grinned, "yeah I did." The smile faded, "but I'm not good at keeping secrets. Not much of a poker face." He sighed, "I spent so much of my life lying about everything, yet I've never been good at it. The only way I deal is to just shrug it off, change the subject…"

"Hold on," Carol interrupted. "Who said you had to lie about anything?" Daryl blinked at her. Was she fucking serious? How could she be okay with the others knowing? "I'm not saying we need to run out and tell them all," she continued. "But if they figure it out, so what? Or if we decide we want to tell them, when you're ready, then we do it." The look on his face must have told her he was bewildered. "Daryl, these people… they're my family. They're all I have. They may be my employees but I love them like I would sisters and brothers. Cal has been more of a daddy to me than my own daddy ever was." Daryl was starting to understand. "They love me and want me to be happy. If being with you makes me happy they will support it."

Daryl's heart was pounding. I make her happy? He wondered, in awe. "Oh," was all he could get out.

"Hey, you experienced something really special last night. Be happy," she nudged him playfully. "Relax. Smile…. There it is," she said as a grin slowly spread across his face. Carol grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It was quick, too quick, but he'd take what he could get. Before she pulled away Carol whispered in his ear, "just get through the day and come to my room tonight. I'll be waiting… very impatiently." Her breath on his ear sent a jolt of electricity through his body, not to mention what the words themselves were doing to his groin area. The tight lipped smile and sparkle in her eye told Daryl she knew exactly what she was doing to him. "Let's clean up," she said, cutting the tension.

Daryl helped her clear all the dishes away and then headed outside to get to work. When the milking was finished Cal approached him. "Come on and saddle up Pookie. There's a fence that needs mending so we might as well take a couple horses for a run while we're at it."

"Uh Cal," Daryl stopped him. "I don't really ride much. I mean, Carol's been teaching me," he admitted with embarrassment.

"Yup, I know. And she's a great teacher," Cal nodded. "Come on. I saw you riding back the other day, you've improved already. The more you get in that saddle the better you'll get."

As they headed out into one of the pastures Daryl wondered why Cal hadn't just taken Andre, Jeff or even Laura or Carol. He knew the slow pace had to be annoying for an experience rider. Daryl found out soon enough when Cal broke the silence. "I like you," he started. "But if you screw this up, mess with Carol, you'll deal with me."

Daryl didn't usually take well to threats, but for some reason because it was about Carol, because he was defending her, Daryl just found even more respect for the man. It made him happy that she had someone like Cal on her side, to act as her father figure, and protector. Daryl simply nodded. There wasn't much to say.

But Daryl was curious. "How did you know anyway?"

Cal snorted. "Where should I begin? The way you look at her? The way she looks at you? The late night motorcycle escapade?" Cal looked over at him. "But mostly, it's because I know Carol. When she sets her mind to something… look out. If she cares for you, which I know she does, she'll get you… But I suspect after what I saw this morning, she already has," he laughed. Daryl was blushing deeply. He was pretty sure he'd blushed more in the last few days than he had in his entire life. "Listen, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I just want you to know that I care a lot about her. I also know your home is a long way from here…." His voice trailed off and Cal left it at that.

It's not like Daryl hadn't considered the fact that he would leave at the end of the summer. It was likely going to be the hardest thing he had ever done. But with Cal pointing it out too the doubts started to creep in. Maybe being with Carol was a bad idea. He was bound to get attached – hell he was already more than attached. She was everything he never knew he wanted. And everything he never believed he deserved until she made him feel he was worth something with one touch.

So was he supposed to just take whatever he could get and leave his heart on the farm for the rest of eternity at the end of August? Or back away now, while there was still time?  
Daryl was still considering that very question as he showered that night. She would be waiting for him. Wanting him. Daryl knew he didn't have the will power to stay away from her. His dick was getting stiff just thinking about her lying in bed down the hall. What if he just went to her one more time? Daryl decided that's what would happen - just once more and then he would have to find a way to stop himself the next time.

Now what the fuck am I supposed to wear? Daryl asked himself, wandering naked around his room. He started with underwear and a t-shirt. Then he pulled on pajama pants only to take them off again. Next he put on a clean pair of jeans and grabbed his leather jacket. What the fuck are you doing asshole? He thought, putting the jacket down. You're going down the hall, not across town. He finally decided on the jeans with a white tank top like Merle often wore.

Daryl took a deep breath and padded down the hall in bare feet. He knocked lightly on her door and waited. Carol answered quickly, pulling the door open and smiling at him. "Holy fuck," Daryl mumbled as his eyes washed over her. She was wearing a sexy white negligée that he knew barely covered her ass without looking at the back of her.

"You like?" she spun, confirming it as he could see a matching pair of panties underneath that didn't cover more than half her ass. Her tits were displayed proudly and Daryl was sure if she bounced just a bit they would spill right out for him. He reached for her, eagerly, kicking the door shut gently with his foot.

Daryl kissed her, hard, like he hadn't seen her in weeks. He explored her mouth with his tongue, savoring the sweet taste of her. By the time Carol pulled away to catch her breath he was ready to take her. Daryl ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass, feeling both skin and silk. "Oh," she said with surprise and he lifted her off her feet, wrapping her legs around his waist. Daryl buried his face between her breasts and licked her as he blindly headed towards the bed.

He set her down gently on the edge and Carol stared up at him. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you've never had a blow job before," she said, undoing his pants.  
Daryl had no idea how his dick got even bigger, but as he gulped and squeaked out a "nope" he was sure his penis was pushing even harder against his boxers. She pushed his jeans off his hips and did the same with his underwear. Daryl removed his own shirt and stood there naked, her eyes washing over him.

The second Carol's hand wrapped around his cock, drawing him closer, Daryl wished he was the one sitting down because he had no idea how his legs were going to hold him through it all. "Jesus sweet fucking Christ," Daryl groaned as her tongue flicked out and grazed the tip of his penis. She swirled it around the head a few times and then engulfed him deep into her mouth.

Daryl closed his eyes and groped for something to hold, finding only air. His legs were quivering as she slowly moved up and down the length of his shaft taking him all the way into her mouth and back out. Carol started slowly, stopping to lick and suck the head every once in a while. Daryl quickly decided if there was anything that could come close to topping the feel of burying himself deep inside her it was this.

Carol cupped his balls, massaging them gently as she worked faster. Daryl lost all track of time. He had no idea if she'd been sucking him off for seconds or hours. All he knew was he'd found heaven inside her warm mouth. Daryl had to resist the urge to grab her head, hold her still and fuck her mouth until he came. Maybe next time, he thought, already forgetting he said this was the last.

Daryl knew he was going to blow his load any second. He had no idea what he was supposed to do though. Was she going to swallow? Finish him off by hand? Was he supposed to pull away and finish himself? "Uh, Carol? I'm gonna…" Daryl started to pull away from her, but she grabbed him firmly by the back of the legs and kept going. "Oh fuck," he moaned, feeling his balls tighten and his body begin to release. He couldn't believe how much it turned him on to know she was letting him come in her mouth. As he finished she pulled away, sucking the length of him and taking the last of his juice off the tip.

"Oh my God," Daryl said, taking a seat beside her before his legs completely gave out on him.

"That's a first for me too," Carol admitted, looking at him with a strangely shy smile.

"You didn't have to," Daryl said. "I mean, I wouldn't have known any different," he laughed.

"I wanted to, for you." Carol bit her lip, eyes twinkling, "it really wasn't that bad."

Daryl decided he owed her. He stripped off Carol's clothes and went down on her like the night before. He loved the way she tasted and the moans and sighs that escaped her when he did something she liked. After he made her come Daryl was ready to fuck. It was fast and furious and they were both covered with sweat when it was over.

Daryl was lying beside her wondering how the hell you give up a drug like sex? After a few minutes of silence he started to get up. "Why don't you just stay tonight?" Carol said.

He wanted to, badly, but he knew he wouldn't sleep at all. Lying that close to her he would just be awake all night thinking about fucking her again. "I can't, I'll never sleep," he admitted.

Carol understood, "you're right." She watched him get dressed and gave him a peck on the lips. "Sweet dreams Daryl."

He felt like he was walking on a cloud as he floated back to his room. Luckily Daryl was exhausted from the activity and euphoria and he fell asleep right away.

The next morning everyone was sitting around the table as usual when they heard a roar that kept getting louder. Daryl knew the sound. "It's a motorcycle," he said, standing up and going to the front door to confirm. "Aww hell no," he muttered looking outside at who had just pulled up.

Merle hopped off his bike and waved. "Hey baby brother. How the fuck are you?"


	10. Chapter 10

After a bunch of awkward as fuck introductions the others had all left to start their chores except Daryl and Carol. "My, my, you are certainly a sight for sore eyes," Merle drawled, putting down his helmet and sauntering over to take her hand. He lifted it to his lips and looked her in the eye, "and who might this vision be?" Merle was asking Daryl, he knew that, but he was too busy giving him the death stare to answer.

"Carol," she replied sweetly. Daryl noticed her cheeks were flushed and resisted the urge to punch Merle's fuckin' lights out on the spot.

"Carol," Merle repeated, giving her a sexy grin. "Beautiful." Daryl took a calming breath, but between the incredible amount of jealousy and protectiveness he was feeling it didn't do one damn bit of good. Merle was charming in all the ways Daryl was not. He could talk to women, flirt with them shamelessly, and never once come off as creepy or perverted. Not until they got to know him anyway. And for most, by that time, it was far too late. Merle's charisma wasn't the only thing he had going for him. Daryl knew his big bro was one good looking man. And yes, several years older than Daryl he was a man in every sense that Carol was a woman.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Daryl snapped, rudely interrupting any exchange that was still occurring between him and Carol.

Merle looked in his direction and then back at Carol, but didn't say a word. She caught on and gently pulled her hand away. "I'll give you two a moment. But there is a lot of work to be done today..." she warned, heading back into the house.

"Mmm, Mmm, Mmm," Merle groaned, staring at Carol's ass as she went up the steps and inside. "Oh Darlene, please tell me you're tapping that," Merle said, finally meeting his eye. "Because if not, I'm on it. White on rice, bro, white on rice."

"You lay a finger on her and I'll fucking kill you, Bitch," Daryl snarled at him.

"Whoa, Whoa, down boy..." Merle said, grinning at him. "So either you are fucking that sweet ass or you're beating off every night wishing it was her hot pussy, not your sweaty hand." Daryl clenched his fists, and his jaw and pretty much every other part of his body that would clench. Merle noticed the added tension but kept going. "My guess is the latter because I'm pretty sure my shy lil bro has never been with a girl. No way a woman like that is wasting time with a teeny bopper with no clue what the fuck he's doing."

Merle never knew when to shut up. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. I'll get her warmed up for ya, while I'm here. Then I'll give you a few pointers before I leave. Once she's had one Dixon she'll be jonesing for the other... Even if it's you."

Daryl was coiled up, like a snake ready to strike, but before he could let a fist fly Carol came back outside. She started towards the barn, but looked over at him. Carol veered, walked right up to them and kissed Daryl on the cheek. "Thanks for last night," she whispered, still loud enough for Merle to hear, then took off with a huge smile on her gorgeous face.

"No fucking way," Merle said, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "I'm fucking proud of you man." Merle hugged him and Daryl shoved him off, blushing bright red from everything that just happened. As much of a jackass as Merle was, when he said he was proud Daryl believed it, which made him blush even harder. "What's she like?" Merle asked seriously, slinging an arm around Daryl's shoulder. "Come on, I gotta know? Unless of course you wanna share with your big brother, ya know keep it in the family, and I can find out for myself."

"Fuck you," Daryl said, shoving him off again. But when he looked at Merle he couldn't help but smile. Even with the teasing this was a pretty big moment for the brothers. Merle had been more of a father to him then his real dad, still a shitty one, but at least he didn't beat the crap out of him. Losing your virginity was a big deal, especially for a shy, awkward guy like Daryl. And he knew Merle figured it wouldn't happen any time soon, let alone with a fox like Carol.

"Seriously, what are you doing here?" Daryl asked again, a little less angry and a little more curious. "And when are you leaving?"

"Well," Merle said, looking around to make sure no one was within earshot. Daryl immediately knew it couldn't be anything good. "I heard through the grapevine that the pigs were looking for me. They wanna ask some questions about my supplier, build a case, ya know? So I figured I would skip town for a bit, and hope all the shit's blown over by the time I get back."

"You're not staying here," Daryl started.

"Relax, Princess," Merle interrupted. "I've already been gone almost a week and I'm meeting a buddy up in South C in a couple days." He grabbed Daryl's face and squished his cheeks, "I'll just crash her for a day or two and I'll be on my merry way."

Daryl jerked his head away. "You have to ask Carol," he grumbled, hoping to hell she would say no.

"Well then, let's go find Her Grace," Merle said, heading in the direction Carol had went. He turned back to Daryl, trailing behind him, "seriously, is that pussy as tight as I think it is?" Merle laughed and ran out of the reach of Daryl's punching fist.

Carol had agreed he could stay a couple days, but only if he helped out, so twenty minutes later Merle was helping Daryl, Cal and Andre load a trailer with huge bales of straw. Daryl was silently praying that Merle would keep his fucking racist mouth shut for once in his life. He saw him eye Andre a couple of times, but thankfully he didn't say anything. At one point Cal and Andre drove off with the trailer to switch it up and bring back an empty flat bed. The second they were gone Merle turned to him and said, "so who's the nigger in the woodpile?"

"For fuck sakes," Daryl replied, glaring at him. "How long were you waiting to make some sort of racist comment?"

"Oh pretty much all day," Merle laughed. "And there were so many opportunities… someone mentioned watermelons and I kept my mouth shut. And even when that Kale guy was talking 'bout picking cotton, I still kept my mouth shut…"

"It's Cal," Daryl corrected him. "And fuck if I know much about any of them. Carol's the only one I talk to," he said, turning away knowing his cheeks flushed every time he said the woman's name.

"You two talk huh?" Merle snorted. "How many times have you fucked her? Or maybe she's the one that does the fucking eh Big D?"

"Stop," Daryl warned him. "I'm fucking serious. Enough."

"But if I can't tease my baby brother, who can I tease?" Merle asked.

"Maybe you just try keeping your big mouth shut for a while. How about that?" Daryl suggested. Merle pulled out a cigarette and offered him one. "No thanks," Daryl said. Merle looked at him, eyes narrowed. "I haven't smoked much since I left," Daryl shrugged.

"Bitch has you whipped," Merle snickered. Lucky for him the guys returned with the next trailer to load before Daryl could attack.

They worked all day in the hot sun and by supper time Daryl was tired, but he could see that Merle was exhausted. It was a blessing because when Merle was tired he didn't talk nearly as much. Daryl was still tense and nervous through the whole meal as people attempted to make polite conversation with his brother. Daryl never knew what was going to come out of Merle's mouth in the form of an answer. He was pushing food around on his plate when he felt a hand on his knee. Daryl jumped and then looked around to see if anyone noticed. They were all engrossed in some bull shit story Merle was telling about hunting a moose. Daryl knew Merle had never seen a fucking moose in his life, but kept his mouth shut. Instead he focussed on the feel of the hand that was on his leg.

Carol was rubbing his thigh, gently, trying to calm his nerves and offer comfort. But the result was an almost instant woody that he was never going to be able to hide if she didn't stop. Daryl put his hand on hers and removed it. She shot him a confused look and he took her hand again, put it on his massive hard on and then removed it again. He glared at her as a smile spread across her face.

Daryl focussed on Merle again, hoping the annoyance he would feel listening to him would make his dick go limp. It was surprisingly successful and by the time everyone started to clear the table and head home, to shower, or to bed for the night Daryl was able to get up safely.

When he returned from taking plates to the kitchen Merle had Carol cornered and was flirting with her again. "You let me know if there's anything else you need tonight. Anything," he repeated with emphasis.

"Go fucking shower, Merle," Daryl interrupted. "You stink."

"Are you showering too?" Merle asked, turning back to Carol. "You could join me, save water?"

"Yeah, that's not happening," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Hmm, okay, but the offer stands… in case you wanna see what a real man looks like…" Merle chuckled, leaving the room.

"He's funny," Carol said, when they were alone. "But I can see he gets to you." She reached for his hand. "He can flirt all day, but you're the one I want, you know that right?" Daryl couldn't speak, so he nodded. "When he's asleep come see me okay?" Daryl nodded again and Carol kissed his cheek then left.

They had moved a cot into the far corner of Daryl's room for Merle to sleep on. It had been a long time since they had shared a room and Daryl couldn't say he was looking forward to it. But by the time Daryl had finished his own shower and emerged in his underwear and a t-shirt Merle was already snoring. He smiled and walked to his bed, pulling back the blankets. He took off the tee and climbed in, then thought about what Carol had said. But he also remembered that he had decided the last time was going to be it. The fact that Merle was here making him crazy jealous and egging him on at the same time, didn't change anything. Soon he would be gone. And Daryl knew the more it happened, the more he was going to want it and it would just be even harder to stop. Nope, he was just going to think about something horrible, keep his hormones in check and fall asleep.

It worked and soon Daryl was fast asleep, until he felt something that woke him. Someone was poking him and Daryl opened his eyes with a grunt. Carol was standing there in a robe, smiling at him. She held a finger to her lips to hush him and pulled at the sash. The robe fluttered open and it was quite apparent there was nothing under it.

Daryl started to panic. With wide eyes he gestured in Merle's direction and stared at Carol. She continued to smile and pushed the robe off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Daryl wondered if he was dreaming. He actually convinced himself it was nothing but a vivid dream until she drew back his blanket and slipped in with him. Daryl felt her warm, silky skin on his and knew it was 100 percent real. "What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"You didn't come, so I came to you," Carol said, reaching for his underwear.

Daryl tried to stop her, "we can't do this here, with him.."

Carol had the underwear off and his dick in her hands before she spoke. "Can you be quiet Daryl?" she whispered. "Can you fuck me quietly?" Daryl had no idea but he found himself nodding, knowing that's what she wanted to hear. With his cock in her hands she was completely in charge and suddenly Daryl didn't give a fuck that his brother was only a few feet away, snoring. "Good," she breathed, continuing to stroke his dick slowly. When he was completely hard Carol released him and repositioned herself to grind against his erection, making him throb with anticipation. He bit back a moan as the tip of his cock dipped between her folds, feeling her moisture.

Carol moved onto her back and tugged him, indicating she wanted him on top. Daryl moved over her. "I'm ready. Nice and slow," she whispered. "And don't forget, shhhh…" The sexy tone of her voice covered his body with goosebumps, even before he slipped slowly inside her. He couldn't completely supress the whimper that escaped his lips when he was fully sheathed by her wet pussy. "I was thinking about you, touching myself," Carol murmured huskily into his ear. "Wishing and praying you would come to me." She bucked her hips, begging him to move and Daryl did, very slowly. "I couldn't wait any longer," she sighed quietly.

It amazed Daryl that moving so slowly could be just as intense, if not more, than fucking her hard and fast. Carol seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was. The look of pure bliss on her face was such a turn on. He found a slow rhythm and continued to pump in and out of her. He loved every second of it and prayed it would never end, completely forgetting about his vow to stop fucking her for good.

He had no idea how long they had been fucking, but Daryl felt his balls tightening and knew he was getting close to release. Carol's eyes were squeezed tight, her face contorted in the sexiest look of ecstasy Daryl had ever seen. Her nails were digging into his arms and all of a sudden her body jerked and shuddered. Somehow she got through it without making a sound but Daryl wasn't sure he was going to be so lucky as her inner muscles started to clench on his dick that was already so fucking close to blowing. With a strangled grunt he felt the release take over and enjoyed every last second of it.

When he laid back down beside her Carol turned and kissed him gently. "You're all I need. All I want," she whispered, climbing out of bed and reaching for her robe. Daryl watched her dress, admiring her perfectly shaped ass and wishing she would just get back in bed with him. Carol gave him a little wave and crept quietly to the door, letting herself out and closing it silently behind her.

Daryl dug around until he found his underwear and slipped them back on, then settled onto his pillow to try to go back to sleep. "Daryl," a voice called out from the other bed.  
Oh shit, he thought. "Uh, yes?" Daryl replied.

"I just want you to know I heard every second of that and I'm not gonna lie, I was fucking standing tall over here," Merle chuckled.

"Was?" Daryl asked, hoping it didn't mean what he thought it did.

"Was," Merle repeated. "Probably gonna need some clean sheets tomorrow. Night Darlene."


	11. Chapter 11

"Ohhhh God, turn that thing off," Merle yelled as the alarm started to beep. "I'm never drinking again," he grumbled.

"You're not hungover ass hole," Daryl said, climbing out of bed to get dressed.

"I wish I was, at least it would be worth the pain… fuck, the pain…" he moaned. "Everything hurts, I don't think I can move. Just leave me here to die little brother. It's been nice knowing you."

"Quit being so fucking dramatic and get up," Daryl ordered him. "We have lots of work to do before the others leave."

"Leave? Leave for where?" Merle asked, sitting up with a groan.

"Church, it's Sunday," Daryl replied, pulling on a shirt and jeans.

"Church…" Merle sounded mystified. "Your girlfriend goes?" Daryl nodded. "And you stay here and work?" Daryl nodded again. "Well then, maybe this a good day for me to find the lord. I'll say a little prayer for you Bro."

"You're not going," Daryl said from the bathroom.

"Oh come on. I'll keep an eye on your little lady, make sure none of them bible thumpers try to thump her," Merle said, joining him in the bathroom with his toothbrush.

Daryl ignored him and finished up. "Hurry up, you don't want to miss breakfast… trust me."

Daryl was surprised when Merle arrived minutes later and joined him at the table. Carol had no idea that Merle had seen quite the show the night before and he didn't plan on her ever finding out. But the way that Merle was looking at her wasn't helping. Daryl kicked him under the table, hard, and Merle's face turned red. He glared at Daryl with a look that said he would pay for that later, before putting on a brilliant smile and gushing to Theresa about how good the food was.

"You're the only one I've seen eat more than Daryl," she teased him, putting another helping on his plate.

"Yeah, my brother and me, we ain't used to food that tastes this good," Merle explained, shoveling another forkful in his mouth.

Once everyone was done, standing up to head out to work, Daryl heard Carol beckon him and Merle. "They are calling for storms again today," she said to them. "I want to leave the horses out as long as we can this morning because the storms are supposed to last through the night and maybe even into tomorrow morning. So can you just keep an eye on the weather after we leave and if it starts getting bad bring them in?"

"Yep," Daryl said, smiling at her. He liked it when she bossed him around and got all serious, it reminded him of what she was like in bed. His mind drifted back to the night before and how dangerously sexy it had been to have her there. The good memories came to a grinding halt when he remembered that Merle had been awake for the whole thing.

"What if I, uh, wanted to come to church with y'all?" Merle asked. "I don't want Jesus to be mad I missed my Sunday prayer." Daryl watched the interaction, wondering if Carol would buy Merle's bullshit.

Carol laughed. "If he isn't mad by now, I'm sure you'll be just fine missing one more," she said, heading back to the kitchen to help Theresa.

Daryl snickered and left Merle standing there looking like an idiot heading outside. By the time he got to the barn Merle had caught up. "So what are we doing?"

"Helping with the milking and then finishing it up ourselves once the others leave," Daryl replied.

"Like with a stool and a bucket?" Merle asked.

"No you moron, they have automatic milking machines," Daryl said, rolling his eyes.

Merle was disappointed, "Can I try it with a stool and a bucket? I've always wanted to milk a cow."

Cal overheard the conversation. "Hey Andre, bring in Flower, Cowboy Merle here wants to milk a cow."

"Oh come on, no need to waste time with this," Daryl said. "Let's get to work."

"No, no… I want to watch your brother here milk a cow," Cal said with a grin. "Jeff, c'mere. Laura, go get Carol and Theresa, this could be entertaining."

"How hard can it be?" Merle shrugged, looking at Daryl. "Just like squeezing milk out of a set of titties." Andre walked in with a large cow, tying the lead to a hook on the wall. "Hey pretty little Flower," Merle said, patting the cow's rump. The cow made an annoying snort sound.

"I think she likes you," Daryl laughed.

"All the ladies like me," Merle said. "Right Flower?" Daryl knew he should have warned Merle, but he barely had his mouth open when the cow lifter a hoof and plopped it down on Merle's foot. "Mother fucker," he screamed, yanking his foot away, jumping around in pain. "I'm gonna make you into ground beef," Merle said, glaring at the cow. Flower gave him a look and turned away.

"I take that back," Daryl said. "I think she knows you."

The others came in and gathered around to watch. Cal set up a stool and bucket and quickly demonstrated the process to Merle. "I got this," Merle said, sitting on the stood and grabbing two teets. He massaged the udder a bit and then attempted to get some milk out, but nothing was going into the bucket. "Nothing is happening," Merle said, giving the teet a little tug. The cow mooed loudly.

"Don't tug, pinch the top and then squeeze with the rest of your hand," Cal instructed.

Merle tried again and still nothing. "Fucking cow is holding it in because she hates me," he scoffed. "I'm doing exactly what you showed me."

"If you were doing exactly what I showed you there would be more milk in the bucket," Cal said. Everyone laughed and Merle shot him a glare.

The third time he tried a little drop of milk spurted out. "Booyah," he hooted. "I did it." Merle worked the other teet and finally he got a rhythm going and there were squirts of milk going into the bucket. Daryl was impressed. He figured Merle would give up long before he got it right.

"Good job," Carol praised Merle with a beautiful smile. Daryl felt the jealousy creeping in again. Fucking Merle was milking a cow on his first try and the first time they left Daryl alone to milk the cows it was a disaster.

"I'm going to work," Daryl announced with a huff. "This is a waste of time."

The others continued to watch Merle play farmer as Daryl headed outside to start bringing cows in. Before he got back in with the first cow Carol appeared. "You're pretty cute when you're jealous," she said, taking the cow's lead from him and giving him a really quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm not jealous," Daryl muttered. "He's an ass. Has to be the center of attention all the time."

"Hmm, seems like it," Carol agreed. "Good think I like the strong silent type," she added with a wink, leading the cow inside. Daryl was smiling as he went to get the next cow.  
There was an uproar of laughter as Daryl walked back in and he heard Merle cursing again. Apparently the cow had shit and then kicked over her bucket of milk. Daryl allowed himself a private snicker as the Merle show ended abruptly and everyone went back to work.

The morning flew by and soon everyone was leaving to get ready for church. Daryl and Merle continued to work until Merle caught a glimpse of the others, loading into their vehicles to leave. Carol came to talk to them again before she left. Merle was watching her walk towards the barn. "Jesus Christ Daryl, I still don't know how the fuck you got your hooks into that sweet piece of ass," Merle groaned.

Daryl stopped what he was doing and peeked at Carol walking towards them. She looked stunning as always, but Daryl was pretty sure she had picked out the sexiest dress she could wear to church without causing a stir. His heart pounded, like it always did when she got close. "I just wanted to remind you about the horses," Carol said, when she was close enough. "Still looks clear, but the storms blow up fast here." Daryl could attest to that.

"We've got it under control," Daryl promised her, knowing Carol was very attached to the horses, especially Cherokee Rose.

"Thanks, see you soon." Carol waved and left them.

Merle stared at her ass until she was out of sight. "Where can I find myself a piece of tail around here?" Merle asked.

"You can leave and find a piece of tail in Carolina," Daryl suggested. Merle just laughed and hugged him again.

About an hour and a half later Daryl heard a rumble of thunder and took a look outside. "Oh shit… Merle," he yelled. The sky was black and the wind had picked up. The storm would be on them any minute. Daryl ran into the barn and grabbed two lead ropes. He tossed one to Merle, "We have to get them in now."

There were 8 horses in total. Daryl ordered Merle towards Pookie, knowing she was the most likely to cooperate and then headed for the next closest horse and hooked up the lead. The rain started just after they had 4 horses in the barn. By the time they got the 5th and 6th horses in they were already soaked. Daryl was worried about Cherokee as the thunder rumbled again. She was running back and forth near the far side of the pen, rearing every once in a while. "I'll get her, you take the other one in," Daryl ordered Merle, yelling over the sound of the wind.

Daryl was still trying to get close enough to Cherokee to get the lead on her by the time Merle returned to help. "What the fuck is wrong with her," Merle yelled.

"She spooks in storms," Daryl said, trying again to reach for the horse. She reared again.

"Let's just leave her," Merle said. "We're soaked and the lightening is starting."

"No, you go in, I'm getting her. This is Carol's horse," Daryl replied, focussing his attention and trying to think of a way to calm the horse.

"Oh for fuck sakes, give me that thing," Merle said, grabbing the lead from his hand. Daryl was surprised, but somehow Merle was able to get the lead on the horse. But just as he did a huge crack of thunder boomed and Cherokee reared up on her hind legs. When she came down she crashed into Merle, sending him reeling into the fence. As Merle fell he broke the wood rail fence and lost his grip on the lead. The second Cherokee's hooves hit the ground she leapt over Merle and took off through the gap in the fence.

Daryl felt sick to his stomach. Not only was Carol's horse gone, running off in the middle of a terrible storm, his brother was lying motionless on the ground on top of the splintered rails of the fence.


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl felt like an ass for actually considering going after the horse with his brother lying on the ground, but it was only for a split second. He moved quickly to Merle's side and realized he was out cold. The rain was pelting down even harder. Daryl was soaked and Merle was lying in a mud pit. Daryl tried shaking him, hoping he would wake, but there was no response. The lightening was getting worse and closer. Daryl realized he had to get Merle inside, and quick.

Daryl knew there was no way he could lift Merle so he would have to drag him to the barn. He put his hands under Merle's arms and heaved, lifting him over the splintered fence. With a quick glance he didn't see any blood or sign that the fence had pierced Merle at all. At least there was one positive.

The others could be back any minute and Daryl hoped to hell they were already pulling in the driveway. He lugged Merle towards the barn, working up a sweat almost instantly. The rain actually felt good on his face. When he finally got Merle inside Daryl stumbled and landed on his ass with Merle in his lap. The fall elicited a groan from Merle. "Oh good, you're not dead," Daryl said as his brother opened his eyes.

"Fuck, I might as well be," Merle muttered. "Feels like someone hit me over the head with a crow bar." He sat up and groaned again. "Shit Bro, I'm gonna puke."

Daryl scrambled to his feet and reached for the closest thing he could find, handing Merle the feed bucket just in time. Merle puked twice before Daryl heard the vehicles pulling in. "Be right back," he said to Merle, running back out into the storm to meet them.

The look on his face must have gave him away. "What's wrong?" Carol asked, rushing to meet him, followed closely by the others as everyone jumped out of their vehicles. Daryl explained quickly and he didn't miss the look of terror and sadness on Carol's face as he mentioned Cherokee. Carol sprung quickly into action. "Merle needs to go to the hospital. Jeff, you take him and Daryl, now. Cal and Andre, go saddle up two horses, Cal and I will go look for Cherokee. Laura, Theresa, you stay here with Andre in case she comes back. If she does, wait out the storm and then Laura and Andre can come find us."

"Carol please... I know I'm not the fastest rider, but I need to go with you," Daryl said quickly, before everyone took off. "Please, I feel like this is my fault, let me help make it right?" he pleaded.

He watched Carol look to Cal, who nodded. "But Merle?" she said.

"He'll be fine," Daryl said quickly. "I'll see him when he's back."

"Ok," Carol replied. "Laura, go with Jeff and Merle since Cal will be here." By that time they were all soaked, just like Daryl, but no one noticed the storm until a loud boom of thunder clapped. People started to disperse. "Meet you in the barn in 2 minutes," Carol said to Daryl. "Gotta change." Under different circumstances he would have been staring at her, with her cotton dress clinging to her body, and thinking about ripping it off her. But as Carol ran for the house all he could see in his mind was that look of sadness and all he could think about was the fact it was his fault it was there.

Cal and Andre were quick. They had Pookie saddled up and another horse named Walker ready by the time Daryl joined them. "It's getting worse out there," Cal said, looking nervously at Daryl. "I don't know if this is such a good idea..."

"You know she's not going to wait," Daryl said. "And this whole situation is my fault. So I will go out there on foot if I have to, but I'm going." The look in Cal's eyes was not anger, like Daryl expected. It was understanding, mixed with something else. If Daryl had of known what it looked like for someone to be proud of him that's what he would have guessed. But since he didn't, he just assumed it was gratitude or something else.

Carol arrived moments later wearing a rain poncho. She pulled something from underneath and tossed it at him. "Go change, quickly. And I have another poncho for you to wear." Daryl realized she must have went in his room as Carol handed him a pair of his own jeans and a shirt. Daryl went around the corner, out of sight to change. He blushed when he realized she had even brought him dry underwear.

Daryl wadded up the wet clothes into a pile. He would get them later. Carol tossed him a yellow poncho when he returned and Daryl put it on. "Good luck," Cal said as they mounted and headed out into the raging storm.

"Which way did she run?" Carol yelled over the pelting rain and wind.

Daryl pointed. "North," he yelled back. He had watched the horse run until he couldn't see her anymore before he finally attended to Merle. The perimeter of the entire farm was fenced. But it would take several hours in good weather to cover the entire thing. And the fence would be no match for Cherokee if she spooked and wanted to jump it.

Carol pulled up her hood and took off. Daryl did the same and followed. He was determined not to slow her up at all. And for almost an hour he kept perfect pace. His legs were aching but it didn't matter, he slowed for a quick rest then pushed on, following Carol and keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the horse. Eventually Carol slowed a bit to allow Walker to rest and Daryl moved up beside her. Thunder boomed and lightening flashed. Daryl felt Pookie tremble slightly and gave the horse a reassuring pat.

Carol didn't speak and he could only see her profile as she stared forward. Every once in a while she would turn her gaze enough that he could see her eyes and it felt like a knife to his heart. The sadness and terror was almost unbearable for him to look at.

After a bit of a rest Carol gave him a nod and they took off again. He had no idea how it could possibly rain any harder but it did. The ground was getting soft, too soft and suddenly Pookie stumbled. She caught herself but Daryl yelled and pulled the reins, bringing her to a stop so they could both catch their breath. Carol heard him and circled back. "Come on, we can't stay out here any longer," she said.

"No I'm fine, we'll be okay," Daryl started, assuming it was his lack of skill that was making her stop.

"It's not you," Carol said, understanding his protest. "It's too muddy, we can't risk one of these horses going down and breaking a leg." She turned her horse, "come on, the shelter isn't far. We can wait it out there like last time."

Daryl followed her again. They went at a slow careful pace until they reached the shelter. They dismounted and let the horses inside. Carol grabbed blankets to put over the horses and they put them in stalls with some food.

Finally they both removed their ponchos and sat on the floor, leaning back against some straw bales. Carol sighed and Daryl risked a glance in her direction. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "This is all my fault. Once we find her I'll go back and pack my shit, leave with Merle as soon as he can travel."

Carol looked at him. "I don't want you to leave," she said. "Especially if we don't find her, or she's hurt. I'll need you then, more than ever."

Daryl couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But I lost her," he said, baffled. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

Carol managed a weak smile. "Did you do it on purpose?"

Daryl shook his head. "Of course not..."

"Then it was an accident," she said, reaching for his hand. "Your brother could have been killed today. And as much as I love my horse, that's far more important. Are you ok?" Carol asked gently.

Until she put it like that Daryl had never thought of it that way. He was so focussed on Carol and the horse that he didn't consider what could have happened with Merle. Daryl would eventually go home... And he couldn't imagine life back there without his brother. "Yeah, I am okay," he said hesitantly. They shared a look and Carol squeezed his hand. "Good thing Merle has a big thick scull I guess," Daryl joked, lightening the mood.

"Listen, no matter what you say I'm going to feel like this is my fault," Daryl said. "But I swear to you, we will find her. I'm a really good tracker, so if the rain lightens up I will find her tracks and follow them until we find her. " Carol looked skeptical. "I'm serious. I hunt. That's what I do. I've tracked many deer through the woods and I always find them. I will find Cherokee for you."

"Thank you," she said, genuinely. Carol looked outside and sighed again. "Doesn't look like it's letting up anytime soon." Lightning flashed in response, followed by a clap of thunder. "Distract me Daryl," she said passionately. "Just kiss me and take me away for a little while. Make me forget, please?"

She didn't have to ask him twice. Daryl pulled her onto his lap and sought out her lips. He touched her face and slid his hand around the back of her head, drawing her even closer, taking the kiss deeper. Her hair was wet and he tangled his fingers in the short tendrils. Daryl had no idea how long they kissed, but he never wanted to stop. She tasted sweet and delicious, better than anything he had ate or drank in his life. The woman was intoxicating and Daryl knew he would do anything for her. Anything.

He gently turned and lay her down on the straw covered floor. Daryl looked at her for permission and Carol nodded. He knew he didn't have to ask to touch her, but it felt like the right thing to do. Daryl slowly unbuttoned her denim shirt and pulled it open to expose her bra. He leaned in and placed warm kisses all over her tummy, before moving up to nip at her breasts, through her bra. Daryl didn't even realize his hands were shaking until he went to pull the straps off her shoulders. She had always been the aggressor. Or at least led him through everything. But this time it was all him. Carol was letting him do whatever he wanted, letting him distract her and take her away.

Daryl exposed her breasts and looked into her eyes as the lightning flashed, showing him the brilliant blue hue. She was focussed only on him. It was working. That made him a lot more confident as he licked at her nipples one at a time, making them both hard and stiff. Daryl had no idea how hard his dick could get from kissing a woman and playing with her tits. He wasn't sure if it worked like that with all women though, because he knew Carol was something special.

Being completely in charge was stirring something inside him and suddenly he just needed to fuck her. He just needed to be inside her, thrusting into that sweet warm place he loved so much. Daryl barely got her pants down far enough before he shoved himself into her like a wild, crazed animal. Being inside her made him insane. The whole world disappeared and all he knew was her. He fucked her as fast as he could, panting with exertion, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt like an insensitive jerk for not being more passionate and delicate with her, but Carol didn't seem to mind what he was doing.

"Oh God Daryl, don't stop," she begged him, clawing at his arms as if he might try to pull away from her. If she only knew, he would never pull away from her. He wanted to be exactly like they were for eternity. It was heaven and she was an angel.

He kept fucking her as fast as her could, until he felt the end approaching. With a grunt he released deep within her. Daryl wasn't sure if she came or not, he'd been so focussed on himself. He had to know. "Did you?" he asked shyly. Carol gave him a sleepy smile and nodded. "I'm sorry," he added, feeling guilty about the way he fucked her all crazy like that. "I don't know what came over me, I shouldn't have…"

Carol cut him off. "It happens sometimes, and I didn't mind at all. I asked you to distract me and you certainly did that," she laughed, sitting up and starting to get her clothes situated again. Daryl only had to tuck himself back in and do up his pants. That's as far as he'd got undressed before he went to town on her. The storm looked like it was calming down as they sat back where they were before, leaning on some bales.

Suddenly Carol leapt to her feet. "Oh my God, Daryl, look," Carol said, pointing at something. "There's hay missing from that bale… I think she might have been in here…"

The rain had slowed to almost nothing. Daryl jumped up and went outside, looking around for tracks. "I think you're right," he said with a grin. "There are 3 sets of tracks here." Daryl stood, "let's get back out there, I know I can find her."


	13. Chapter 13

"I can't believe you found her," Carol gushed for probably the 8th time. It never got old though. Daryl had tracked Cherokee through the woods and they were bringing her safely home. Carol was absolutely glowing and he couldn't stop looking at her.

The others came running out to meet them when they got close. It wasn't until Daryl saw that Merle wasn't with them that he started to worry. "Merle?" he said to Jeff the second he was in ear shot.

Laura was the one who answered. "Oh he's fine. He's hit on every nurse in the building I think," she said with a laugh. "Doctors wanted to keep him overnight for observation." 

Relief swept over him. Daryl felt guilty for being more focused on finding the horse than concerned for his brother, but in the end everything had seemingly worked out and that's all that mattered.

"He said to tell you he's had enough of Green Acres," Jeff added, smiling. "He wants you to bring his bike and things when he's released tomorrow. Said he's leaving for the Carolina's. But he will miss Theresa's cooking and looking at Carol's ass." Daryl blushed but everyone else, Carol included, laughed. "He's kinda growing on me," Jeff said, playfully pushing Daryl's shoulder. They had climbed off their horses and were leading them back to the barn.

Once people started to disperse he caught Carol alone. "How am I going to get back from town? And is it okay for me to take a couple hours off to go?"

Carol smiled it him, "how about we take the whole day?"

"We?" Daryl replied, a feeling of excitement rippling through his body.

"You will need someone to show you where the hospital is and a ride home." Carol stretched and yawned. It had already been a long day. "Might as well make a day of it. I'll show you around town, maybe drive out to the west side and see the lake." Daryl had a feeling Carol hadn't taken a day off in a long, long time. She looked as excited as he felt. "You good with that?"

"Uh, yeah," he replied, studying her beautiful face. If she only knew how much he would give to spend an hour alone with her. An entire day was like winning the lottery or something.

"Great," Carol smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go have supper. We should get to bed early too, we'll still have to do chores before we leave in the morning."

After supper Daryl was lying in bed, thinking about everything that had happened so far. He had no idea when he decided to take the job that he was going to have the most amazing summer of his life. And it was all because of her. But it would end. It would end and he would have to go back to the shit hole life he'd lived for 18 years. Stop thinking about that, he chastised himself. It seemed like every time things got quiet and he had a chance to think his mind always went to the same place. His heart hurt even thinking about the summer ending, and it had far more to do with leaving her, than going back to his normal life.

Carol had suggested that they go to bed early, so Daryl decided he would try to just sleep, instead of creeping to her room down the hall. If she came and woke him again, he would be more than happy to do whatever she wanted to do. But if she didn't, it was okay because Daryl had a sneaky suspicion they would more than make up for it the next day.

Morning came quick and after breakfast and chores he and Carol both showered and changed to leave for the hospital. Daryl gathered up Merle's things while Carol puttered around loading a bunch of stuff into the back of the truck. "Have a nice day Sweetie," Theresa said, with a wink. Daryl blushed. She had recently started calling him Sweetie and Daryl actually loved it. It made him feel like he had a Nana or something; someone who gave a shit about him. It wasn't just Theresa and Carol though. Everyone he had met on the farm made him feel like he mattered.

"Ready?" Carol asked as Daryl emerged from the house with Merle's backpack.

"Think so," he replied, feeling excitement wash over him yet again. Not only did he get to ride several miles into town on Merle's bike, but after he sent his brother on his way (and made sure he really was okay) he got to spend the rest of the day alone with Carol. What could possibly be better?

"Okay, just follow me then," Carol said, with a smile as she hopped into her pick-up truck. Daryl fired up the bike, slipped on Merle's helmet and took off after her. It was a gorgeous sunny day. Not too hot, with a slight breeze. The wind buzzing by him on the bike, blowing in his face and over his body felt amazing. It was actually a bit disappointing when they pulled up to the hospital in a little under an hour.

Daryl parked the bike beside where Carol had parked her truck and they headed inside to the information desk. "Can you tell us what room Merle Dixon is in?" Carol asked politely.  
"Merle Dixon," the older woman replied with a grin. "Gonna be sad to see him go. Real charmer, he is."

"Charmer," Daryl scoffed. "You don't know the half of it," he added under his breath. Carol poked him with an elbow.

"Merle's in room 35A, if he's actually in his room. He's been on the prowl all morning since the nurses had shift change," the volunteer replied, her smile getting bigger. "He was here earlier, brought me this," she held a flower to her nose.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Merle Dixon?" Daryl muttered in disbelief. Merle could charm the pants off pretty much anyone, but he usually reserved his charm for ladies he actually wanted their pants off, not sweet, old, senior citizens.

"Probably," she replied. "Looks a bit like you. Very handsome too," she said, eliciting yet another blush on Daryl's cheeks.

"Thanks for your help," Carol replied, taking Daryl's hand briefly and leading him away. "Let's go to his room and hope he's there." They wandered through a maze of hallways until they found A-wing and stopped at the nurse's desk. "Can you tell me if Merle Dixon is in his…"

"I would recognize that sweet ass anywhere," came a voice from behind them. "Yours too Carol," Merle joked, nudging Daryl. "There's some fine looking nurses here, but I'm so ready to get the f…, uh, to get out of here," he said, looking at the head nurse who was giving him a stern eye. "That one there has the hots for me I think," Merle added, lowering his voice, but still loud enough she could hear. Daryl noticed the woman's face soften. It really annoyed him how Merle could so easily melt even the coldest of female hearts. They started to walk towards his room, to wait for a nurse to come and discharge him. "Hey, Pamela, you sure you don't want to skip town, hop on the back of my bike and check out South Carolina with me?" Merle asked a pretty blonde in scrubs. "This is the last time I'm offering," he jokingly warned her.

"Thanks for the offer, but remember that boyfriend I was telling you about?" she replied, passing them and throwing Merle a grin over her shoulder.

"Disgusting," Daryl mumbled.

"So did you find that damn horse that tried to kill me?" Merle asked, plunking down on his bed.

"We did," Carol said, smiling brightly. "Your brother is quite a gifted tracker."

"Taught him everything he knows," Merle said, with both conceit and pride. "Good job Darlene. Found your woman's horse, that should keep you in her pants for the rest of the summer."

"If you didn't already have a fucking concussion I would give you one right now," Daryl seethed.

"Relax Bro, and watch your mouth. You don't want to deal with Martha, trust me," Merle grinned. "I mean, she loves me, but I'm pretty sure she considered washing my mouth out with soap before I turned on the charm and schmoozed her."

Daryl looked at Carol, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with a smile on her face, watching them. "I might actually miss you Merle," she said.

"Hmm, then what you say we kick Daryl out and make a little whoopee," Merle offered. " I'll give you something to remember me."

"Oh trust me, I have enough to remember you already," Carol shot back, moving closer to Daryl. The nurse walked in with discharge papers and a long list of instructions for Merle. Daryl knew his brother wasn't listening to a word she said, especially since his eyes were trained on her tits.

Finally it was time to go. It was like walking with a celebrity leaving the hospital. Every person they passed said goodbye to Merle. "You were here one night…" Daryl said when they got outside.

"I can't help it if people adore me. When you're this handsome sometimes it feels like a curse," Merle said, flashing his pearly whites.

"Okay, well, bye," Daryl said, handing Merle his helmet and backpack. "Don't die. Don't get arrested. Maybe I'll see you at home at the end of the summer." Daryl felt a pang in his heart even mentioning home and summer ending.

"C'mere," Merle said, pulling Daryl into a hug. He let Merle hug him, but didn't make a move to hug back. "Carol?" he asked opening his arms. She stepped into his embrace and gave Merle a hug goodbye. Daryl felt the need to punch him arise once again. He didn't like Merle touching Carol, even if it was an innocent goodbye hug. Merle released her. "Don't break his heart okay? I don't feel like putting it all back together." Merle looked from Daryl to Carol. "But teach him a thing or two… he still acts like a man whose never been laid. Doesn't quite fit the Dixon mold, if you know what I'm sayin'?" he nudged Carol. Merle climbed on to his bike. "Good start the other night though," he said, winking at her before firing up the motorcycle and peeling away with a wave.

"Does he mean… he heard? He was awake?" Carol asked, cheeks turning slightly pink.

"You don't even want to know," Daryl replied, heading for the truck. "Let's go enjoy our day off, okay? I don't want to talk about or think about my brother for a long, long time."  
Carol climbed in the driver's seat. "You have to admit he's cute and funny." Daryl shot her a look and she got serious. "There's more to him than the rest of us see, isn't there?" He nodded. "If you ever want to talk about it…"

"Not today," Daryl said quickly. "I don't want to ruin this day."

"Not today," Carol agreed, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. They pulled out of the parking lot and Carol headed out of town. With the city behind them, Merle gone and the entire day alone to look forward to Daryl finally felt at peace.


	14. Chapter 14

They had been fishing for a solid hour, chatting and sharing memories of when they were young kids. Daryl remembered fishing and hunting with Merle, while Carol had a close friend and used to go on fishing trips with her and her dad. It didn't matter that the fish weren't biting, in fact Daryl was glad for it. A fish interrupting Carol talking would have been an annoyance.

"Daryl," Carol said quietly, after one of the first extended moments of silence they'd had. "There's a reason why I brought you here... Took the day off..."

Daryl felt a sense of dread. Was she ending things with him? Did she want the sex to stop? Were people too hard on her because of their age difference? "Okay..." he said, hesitant with fear.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not bad... Well it's bad, but not for us. I mean, it could be... Depending on your reaction." Her words came out with a sense of nervousness that he had never heard from her and it was strangely calming. "I want to tell you about my husband - how he died, before you find out on your own."

"Oh," Daryl said in surprise. It wasn't what he was expecting at all.

"You deserve to know, and I want you to hear the real version, my version. Not the one constructed on rumors and lies that have snowballed into something much different." Carol was wringing her hands and it was obvious this wasn't going to be easy for her.

"You don't have to do this," Daryl said, touching her shoulder. "I trust you. If it's too much, it's okay."

"I want to," Carol said with conviction. "I need you to know. It's too big to have hanging between us." Daryl liked how Carol was referring to them as a unit, as if they had a future that wasn't going to end with the summer like he knew it would. "Daryl…" she said softly, looking at him with tears in her eyes, "I killed him, Ed, my husband, I pulled the trigger…"

"Oh," Daryl repeated the exact exclamation of surprise that he did moments ago. He knew it sounded stupid, but it was the only thing that would come out. Carol murdered her husband? So why wasn't she in jail? There was obviously more to the story, she'd already alluded to that. "Tell me the rest," Daryl said, reaching for her hand. He hoped his offer of comfort would make it easier for her to tell the story, but also let her know that he wasn't upset or scared and he trusted her.

"He beat me for years, you need to know that part first," Carol said, settling her hand in his and placing them both comfortably in her lap. Daryl felt his skin prickle in anger. How could anyone hurt her? How could anyone abuse such a kind, beautiful, intelligent woman? Before she even started into the story Daryl had already decided that Ed, the motherfucker, deserved to die. "It was bad one night," Carol began. "It was nearing the end of harvest and our crop was not what we'd hoped for. Ed was stressed because he'd worked so hard, we all had, and it was becoming apparent we were gonna lose money… a lot. So he started drinking, every night, to the point he would still be drunk the next morning for chores. The abuse was always worse when he was drunk. I tried my best to avoid him… but I couldn't avoid him at night." Carol paused and looked off into the distance. Daryl knew she was reliving the story, feeling the pain all over again. He knew the look because he'd been there himself, so many times. "People on the farm knew he was hurting me, there was no way I could hide the bruises. I tried. I was ashamed. And embarrassed. I blamed myself and the stress and the alcohol. I believed that somewhere inside Ed was a good man. I mean, I wouldn't have married a monster… he had to be good at some point, right?" It was a question that wasn't supposed to be answered, even though they both knew what the correct answer was. "Cal approached me one day while Ed was off in town getting supplies. He tried to talk me into leaving Ed. Tried to get me to just pack up and leave while he was gone. I considered it. I really did. But I still believed Ed would change. In another year, when we had a good crop and started making money again, it would all be fine. I was willing to wait. I was a foolish idiot."

"Don't say that," Daryl interrupted. "You're not an idiot. They get in your head. Make you feel like you're the problem and you spend your life trying to make it up to them." Daryl understood exactly what she was going through. Every time his dad would beat him Daryl truly believed he deserved it. He believed he had made his dad come after him and he would try so hard to never make the same mistake again. And he never did. He made new ones. There was always a new reason to get the shit kicked out of him, no matter how hard he tried.

Carol squeezed his hand and continued. "So that night, it was the usual… we argued, even though I knew it would only lead to me getting hit… and it did. First he punched my face. He usually tried to avoid my face, so I could hide the evidence. But not that night, he was too mad. When he wrapped his hands around my neck and started to choke me I was pretty sure I was going to die. I couldn't fight him, he was too strong. I almost blacked out when the door burst open and Cal came barging in." Daryl felt his heart pounding as she told her story. As often as he'd been hit and kicked Daryl had never feared for his life. He'd blacked out a few times, but was never consciously aware that it could be the end. "Cal charged at him and Ed let go of me, turning his fury on Cal. He was screaming at me to run, to save myself, but I couldn't move. Ed was pounding his head against the floor when I finally reacted. We had a rifle in the closet. Ed kept it loaded in case there were ever Coyotes after the cattle in the middle of the night. I grabbed it, aimed and fired. I don't remember a thing after that. I saw Cal on the floor with Ed slumped on top of him… there was blood…" Carol shuddered. "I blacked out and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital with cops waiting to interrogate me."

Daryl reached over and wiped away a tear that was rolling down her cheek. "He would have killed Cal. I had to do it. I had to. I had to. I had to." Carol kept repeating the words over and over.

Daryl pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. "It's okay, shhh," he soothed her. It killed him to see her so upset. It struck him how important it was for her to tell him the truth, seeing how difficult it was for her to talk about. "You don't have to say anymore," Daryl said, stroking her hair.

Carol pulled back, "I'm almost done. I want to finish." Daryl nodded. "There was a trial, even though Cal corroborated everything I said. No one off the farm knew what Ed was really like, what he did to me. They only saw the charming guy who came to town for supplies, the hard working farmer, the friendly neighbor always willing to help out, the life of the party at the dances. And they saw me happy. They never saw the bad. No one believed it was self defense… especially when it came out that Ed was cheating on me with a woman in town."

"What the fuck?" Daryl hissed. "Fucking bastard."

"It was bad for the case when she came forward. The DA tried to say I knew about the affair and that's why I killed him. Some even started the rumour that Cal and I…" Carol sighed. "It was the worst time of my life." The emotions stirring inside him, listening to her gut-wrenching story, were intense. He was filled with anger, disgust, annoyance, but it was all overshadowed by a desire to just take away all her pain. "I had a good defense attorney and I was eventually acquitted. It was ruled self-defence. But to this day there are still people who glare at me and whisper behind my back. And then you come along…" Carol added looking at him with a smile. "As if they didn't have enough to talk about already."

"Do you care?" Daryl asked gently. "That they talk about us? Does it bother you?"

"Not at all," Carol said, leaning in to kiss him softly.

Even after the smile and the kiss Carol still looked rattled and affected from telling her story. "What can I do?" Daryl asked. He honestly didn't know what she needed and was worried he would do the wrong thing and just make it worse.

Carol blinked at him with her big blue eyes. Her words were innocent and childlike, "Say you believe me."

"Of course I believe you. Did you really think I wouldn't?" Daryl asked.

"One thing I've learned in my lifetime is to never be presumptuous," Carol replied, looking a lot more relaxed already.

"Thank you for telling me," Daryl said softly. "Thank you for trusting me." Even after everything they'd been through together already he always worried his words sounded stupid. The second they left his mouth they sounded immature.

"I do trust you Daryl," Carol replied, just as softly. "After Ed I didn't think I would ever trust a man again. But I do. I trust you with everything. My life. My family. My heart…" She must have sensed the panic that rose in him as her words sunk in because Carol spoke again, quickly. "You asked what you can do… Distract me Daryl. Remind me what it's like to be with a real man. Make me forget the bad stuff and only see you."

At that point he needed the distraction every bit as much as she did. Daryl eased her back on to the ground and hovered his lips over hers. He was still unsure of his words and many of his actions, but Daryl was getting very comfortable being intimate with her. It wasn't because he was overly confident in his skills, but because she always made him feel like he was doing it right. She was his teacher – his leader. She was his first - and in that moment - Daryl hoped she was his only. If he could make love to one woman for the rest of his life she was the one he would choose. Carol was perfect.

The chance of anyone catching them in the act was slim. They would hear a vehicle long before they got close. Not that either of them would have cared at that point. Slowly their bodies were stripped and bared to the blazing sun. With the sun's rays glinting off her smooth skin Daryl was sure there was nothing more beautiful in the entire world.

Kneeling beside her Daryl sucked her nipples, moving from one to the other and back again, while Carol reached between his legs and lazily stroked him. It may have been slow and easy, but her touch drove him insane. He needed to be inside her, he couldn't wait any longer. Daryl slipped in slowly and did his best to keep the pace steady. Carol's quiet sighs told him she was enjoying it. It was as if she could read his mind when Carol's eyes flicked open and she spoke a single word, "faster."

Daryl eagerly increased the speed of his strokes, enjoying the feel of their bodies connecting as he thrust into her. He was thankful again when she came. Daryl was always concerned that he would disappoint her by finishing first. He was also thankful because he absolutely loved the feel of her vagina contracting on his dick. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. There was just something about knowing it was caused by her being completely satisfied that made it so incredible. Like every time before it sent him over the edge.

They didn't lay too long in the hot sun, knowing areas that weren't often exposed would start to burn. They redressed and had a picnic lunch. The entire day passed way too quickly. Daryl wished there was some way he could hit pause and stay there, alone with Carol, forever. The speed of the day only reminded him that they really didn't have all that many days left together. Daryl pushed the bad thoughts away, determined to enjoy every second.

Later that night, back on the farm, Carol came to him in his room. "I know it's late and we've been together all day, but…" Daryl didn't say a word, simply lifted his covers and let her climb in beside him. They didn't kiss or grope each other or have sex, they simply laid in each other's arms and enjoyed the comfort - the entire night. And Daryl loved waking up and having the most beautiful woman in the world be the first thing he saw when his eyes fluttered open.


End file.
